


Universal Constants

by xbleeple



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: AU for the Main Universe, F/M, Pregnancy, fluff with drama, slight Daniel/Janet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-27
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2019-05-29 04:52:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 125,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15065543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xbleeple/pseuds/xbleeple
Summary: Some things in the universe are constants, and sometimes those constants aren't just in our universe.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't target a season for when this fic is, it kind of just happens abstractly in time. Sam has made Major and Jolinar has happened...looking at the timeline I would say this semi exists starting in Season 7? I think you'll get the gist. I don't know that any one event in this fic has a SUPER strong tie to anything that has happened in the show, they're generally brief mentions.
> 
> And for context I already have 73k words written for this currently, so updates should be a non issue for quite a while - if ever!

Sam sighs as she steps out of the shower. Her skin was bright pink from the heat of the water and thorough scrubbing she’d given herself. After a month in a goa’uld prison she didn’t think it was possible to be too clean, even though she’d taken a shower almost immediately after they had stepped through the gate. After a day full of poking and prodding by Janet, determining she had no serious injuries, and debriefing the General on what had happened while they were gone, she was ready for another one once she'd gotten out of her BDUs and made her way home.  
She grabs the towel she’d set out for herself on the counter and wraps it around her body, using a hand towel to dry her hair enough to stop the dripping. Padding into her bedroom she finishes drying off before leaving the towel on the footboard of her bed. Sam opens one of her dresser drawers and pulls out a simple, sleeveless cotton sundress that was light blue with a simple white floral print over it. She shuts the drawer with her hip and pulls the dress on, deciding to forgo underwear and a bra. It had gone from being reasonably cool to hot while they were gone and the air conditioning was still working on cooling the house down.

Making her way downstairs she stops in the kitchen and grabs a beer out of the fridge, popping the top before holding it against her forehead as she peruses the few other groceries she had purchased. She reaches in to grab a yogurt cup and watches as her skin pales against the stark bruises that mottled her body. She was littered with them from head to toe, a living example of the torturous beatings they had taken. Her lip was split and she had butterfly closures holding her eyebrow together amongst the few other cuts and scrapes that wounded her skin. They didn't have time to throw her back into the sarcophagus before they were finally able to break out and make it back to the stargate.

Sam pulls her hand back with the yogurt cup in its grasp before closing the door and grabbing a spoon. She makes her way over to the couch and sits directly under the air vent, taking a drink of her beer before setting it down on the table and tearing open the top of the yogurt. A sigh leaves her lips once more as she lets the fruity cream melt over her tongue before digging into the rest of the cup. She pauses when she gets up to throw it away and hears a knock on the door. She finishes her trip to the kitchen and tosses the cup into the trash before continuing towards the door. 

Sam looks through the peep hole, standing up on her toes slightly to reach the sight. Her brow furrows when she sees Jack on the other side, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, sunglasses on his face. He taps on the door again after he doesn’t receive a response. Sam sinks down to stand flat on her feet and unlocks on the door before pulling it open.

“Hi,” Sam greets quietly as she lifts her hand to shield her eyes from the sun, “Miss me already, sir?”

Jack removes his sunglasses and Sam easily finds herself burning underneath his intense and dark gaze. She steps back as he steps towards her, using his body to move her back into the house. He kicks the door shut behind himself before continuing to move until he presses her into the wall.

“Sir?” Sam questions as they stop moving. From his proximity she could easily smell his cologne and soap, the fresh scent making her mouth water. Jack drops his sunglasses on the ground before cupping her face and pressing his lips to hers in one swift movement. Sam’s eyes widen as she feels his lips on hers before they slip closed and she finds herself kissing him back with hunger. Her fingers tangle in his short grey hair and she pulls him closer, her tongue delving into his mouth. She wasn’t even thinking at this point, her body and mind were purely reacting to the fact that Jack O’Neill was finally kissing her.

The two continue to explore each other’s mouths before Jack presses his hips into Sam’s, his need evident. She presses back against him and moans softly into his mouth. Jack’s hands trail down her body as far as they can go before he grips her thighs and lifts her, using his body weight to pin her into the wall. His knees were going to hate him for this, but if they took the time to move, the time to think, this wasn’t going to end where they wanted it to. Sam follows his lead and wraps her legs around his waist, her ankles locking together against his backside, grinding her against his erection.

It’s not too long before Jack’s hands abandon her body and divert their attention to his belt buckle, undoing his belt and fly before Sam reaches over and pushes his jeans down just enough to free him. She grabs him in her hand as her lips attack his again and she strokes him with a firm grip. He groans at her grip and lets out an even deeper groan as he finds out that she wasn’t wearing any underwear. Her dress gets bunched at her waist and Sam guides Jack into her entrance, both of them groaning in unison as they come together. They pause for a moment as he fully sheaths his length inside of her. Jack buries his head to her neck, inhaling the scent of clean cotton and Sam before he begins to move

Sam moans as Jack pins her to the wall and takes her hard and fast. Her already lit nerve endings find themselves engulfed in flames as he stretches her and his teeth sink into the soft skin at the juncture of her neck. She could tell his grip on her thighs was bruising but she didn’t care. What was another set at this point? A picture falls off the wall and to the floor with a shattering clatter and Sam gasps as Jack drives his hips particularly hard against hers.

“Harder,” She begs, the only word she’d uttered since before Jack had kissed her. Jack grunts and thrusts harder and faster against her, his knees already starting to burn. Sam finds herself quickly on edge, staring at an abyss of pleasure before her. Her head tips back and Jack buries his face in her breasts as his thumb slips between them and finds her clit easily. He presses down firmly, slowly rubbing the tip of his finger back and forth.

Sam’s breath comes in heaving pants as she feels her body start to let go. Her short nails dig into Jack’s shoulders as she cries out with her release, trying to squirm away from the sensation. She gasps and whimpers as Jack continues to move and overstimulate her. He only lasts a few more thrusts, the twitching and milking of her inner muscles pulling him over the edge as he groans into the milky flesh underneath his mouth. His hips jerk once more as he finishes, kissing softly against her jaw.

Jack doesn’t say anything as he pries them off of the wall and carries her upstairs to her bedroom, remembering where the room was from previous visits to the house. He deposits her on the bed and sheds his sweaty white t-shirt before leaning down to work on his boots. He manages to quickly get his boots and socks off along with his jeans before pulling his boxers back up. He playfully drags Sam’s dress up and over her head. The fabric gets deposited with his clothes and he climbs into bed with her.

Sam watches him with curious eyes as he skims his eyes over her body before running his hand down her front. A slight frown turns the corner of her mouth downward as she notices the harrowed look in his eyes. He presses his lips to a bruise on her rib cage before moving them to another one nearby. Sam bites her lip as Jack busies himself with kissing all of the bruises on her body. By the time he’s finished her breathing is slow and she’s curled up on her side, fast asleep. He presses a kiss to her shoulder and wraps the blankets around her.

“I should have protected you,” Jack whispers before closing his eyes and wrapping his arm around her middle.

The two spend the rest of their weekend off alternating between fucking and eating. They order in Chinese and Italian, rotating between the two as they heat up leftovers. In the mornings Sam makes them coffee and bowls of cereal that they enjoy out on her back porch. At night it's wine or beer. Their conversations generally don’t consist of any important topics. At night as they finally go to sleep, Jack whispers the same words against the skin of her shoulder. Generally one of them ends up waking up from a nightmare, usually her, and it's up to the other to bring them back to the reality that they were safe and no longer locked away wondering if they were ever going to get home.

Sunday night, Jack finally pulls his jeans back on and puts his boots on, looking up at Sam from his spot on the couch. She was wrapped in a fluffy light blue robe and smiling softly at him. Why, he didn’t know. She should be furious with him. She should have thrown him out the second he showed up and kissed her. But she wasn’t. At least as far as he could tell.

“I’ll see you at the mountain tomorrow?”

“Yeah. 0700, bright and early, sir,” Sam nods. She trails behind Jack as he makes his way to the door. She grabs onto the wood as he opens it up, stepping out onto her front stoop.

“Sam,” Jack says as he turns to face her, “I…”

“Just go,” Sam whispers, the smile still on her face, “We don’t need to talk about this right now, ruin the weekend…just go.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I’ll see you tomorrow, sir,” Sam repeats.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Carter,” Jack nods before heading for his truck. Sam retreats back inside and wanders through the living room and kitchen to pick up, turning the lights off along the way. Once she’s finished she goes to make her way upstairs, stopping as someone knocks on the door. A sigh slips from her lips as she checks the peep hole before opening the door with an internal roll of her eyes and a smile.

“Forget som…”

“Have dinner with me,” Jack asks, interrupting her, “Next week, sometime after our mission. Maybe Wednesday? There’s a nice Italian place in town, or we could do something else. I mean we ate quite a bit of it this weekend. Or we could stay in I suppose, I mean…”

“Jack!” Sam interrupts to stop the incessant babbling pouring from his mouth, “Sure. We can figure something out later.”

“Right.”

“Good night, sir.”

“Night,” Jack replies, before once more walking back to his truck. Sam closes and locks the door before continuing upstairs. She makes her way into her bathroom and turns the faucet in the bathtub on, waiting for the water to heat up. Once it gets to a decent temperature she plugs the drain and gets underneath the sink to grab some bubble bath as well as some epsom salts. She shakes she salts out over the water before putting a capful of the liquid underneath the stream of water. Putting the things back into the cupboard she stands to shed her robe and sweats she’d put on before Jack left. She takes a second to turn on the cd player she’d had on a shelf before slipping into the bathtub with a soft groan. 

Sam’s entire body was sorer than it was when she’d gotten home on Friday afternoon. Their couplings had been rough, not that she minded (she’s pretty sure she uttered the phrase ‘fuck me’ a few times), but she was going into work the next morning with more bruises than she’d had. And she was pretty sure that the goa’uld didn’t bite people in the neck. Luckily her BDUs were going to cover up most of the things and people were aware of what had happened to them. She’d throw a little foundation on her neck and call it a day. With how sore her hip joints were she wondered if she was going to have to explain why she was walking funny. Though explaining anything would get them kicked out on their asses so fast they wouldn’t know what hit them.

Sam groans before submerging herself in the tub, holding her breath as long as she can. How had they fallen into it so easy? Acting like they’d been together for months and didn’t need to talk about the implications of their actions. What had she gotten herself into? What had _they_ gotten themselves into?


	2. Chapter 2

The group enjoyed a few days of reprieve on the base before being sent out on their next mission. It was a simple recon mission to a simple planet, with no goa’ulds or prisons. They had intended to spend a week after initial recon and spent just that before returning home on Wednesday afternoon. After a trip to the infirmary for post mission checks and a briefing with General Hammond they were free to go about their business.

Jack knocks on the door to Sam’s lab to grab her attention. She looks up from the paperwork in front of her and smiles at him as she normally would, closing the folder. Though she’d had plenty of time to think about their weekend of sin over the last week and a half, she’d determined early on that she needed to show no outward signs of any swirling thoughts that may be taking over her mind.

“Sir, what can I do for you?”

“I thought I would see if you were still up for…” Jack asks, leaving the end hanging.

“Sure, let’s see if Teal’c and Daniel want to come,” Sam says as she jumps up, heading out to find the other two. Jack catches her by the wrist and pulls her back slightly, his eyes scanning around to make sure no one could see or hear them, checking their position for the security camera in the corner.

“That’s not what I…”

“I know what you meant,” Sam replies, her voice low, “But before we dig ourself deeper into the hole we already can’t get out of, we need to talk and not over a romantic dinner. So, let’s see if Daniel and Teal’c want to come. We can go to O'Malley’s if they do. Otherwise we need to go home, separately.”

“Okay,” Jack lets her go and holds his hands up, “Okay.”

Sam offers him a small smile before leaving the lab in search of their co-workers. By the end of the night everyone was on the tipsy end of the scale except for Sam. They settle up on their bill and she herds all of them into her Volvo before starting to drop people off. Teal’c goes first, back to the mountain, then Daniel, leaving her with Jack who lived the furthest from base and the restaurant they had gone to. She pulls into his driveway a while later and parks the car next to his truck before looking over at him. Their drive had been quiet after dropping Daniel off. Jack rolls his head towards her and dark eyes look her up and down before he sits up properly.

“Got time to talk?”

“You’ve been drinking, sir.”

“Carter…” Jack says with a warning tone, “Just come inside. I’ve given you an out. I had a couple drinks, you had to drive me home. Daniel and Teal’c are none the wiser. Stay for a cup of coffee and let’s talk.”

“Alright,” Sam sighs and turns the car off before getting out and following Jack inside of his house. Her eyes glance around the dark street, almost as if she was looking for someone following them that would rat them out before they ever got a chance to figure things out. She follows him to the kitchen and sits at the counter as he starts a pot of coffee. Soon he puts a mug in front of her along with some cream and sugar. Sam puts the smallest dollop of cream in and takes a sip before sighing softly as she looks at the man across from her.

“Sir, I…”

“Jack.”

“What?” Sam questions as he interrupts her immediately.

“Jack, Carter. For cryin’ out loud. If we’re going to talk about personal things then you might as well call me Jack.”

“Right, Jack,” Sam says before taking another sip of her coffee, letting the warm liquid roll around her mouth before she swallows, “There’s no way around this.”

“This being…”

“The frat regulations,” Sam clarifies, “If anyone even found out what went on two weeks ago, we’d both be court marshaled. And I…I still don’t entirely know why it even happened in the first place.”

“You kissed me back,” Jack shrugs as he takes a long swig of his coffee, staring across the counter at her. Sam rolls her eyes and lets go of her cup, folding her arms on the counter top in front of her.

“Do I really need to ask the question as to why you even kissed me in the first place?” Sam arches her eyebrow in a very Teal’c-ish way. Jack’s eyes cast downward and he runs his thumb over the rim of his mug a few times.

“I, uh…I should have done more,” Jack replies, still not looking up, “When we were in the prison. I should have taken the brunt of it. Not you.”

“You don’t need to protect me and that still doesn’t explain why.”

“I like you, Sam. You know that,” Jack says, finally looking up at her. He sighs as he takes another drink before continuing to speak, “I probably more than just like you. I’ve liked you for years…I just…you know why I haven’t said anything. We said we'd keep it in the room. Anything happens between us and we’re out on our ass. But with everything that happened and how hurt you were, and…”

“That’s not even the worst I’ve been injured since we’ve started working together.”

“I know!” Jack exclaims, standing and starting to pace, “It makes no sense. I get that part. I just…do you get what it’s like seeing a person you…like…injured and…"

“Have you met yourself? Between the four of us I am the least injury prone, you only come second to Daniel!” Sam retorts with a laugh and a shake of her head, “And that’s only because we gave Daniel extra points because he _died_.”

“Wait, you guys keep track of this?”

“Don’t change the subject,” Sam warns, “I came back hurt and…”

“And I didn’t want to brush off what I felt this time. I couldn’t. I could have lost you.”

“So, you decided to fuck me six ways from Sunday?” Sam asks, bluntly. Jack was surprised at her use of coarse language outside of the mountain, but he couldn’t deny that’s what he did. He shrugs as he looks at her.

“I figured I could do it better than I could say it,” Jack responds, “You know how bad with words I am.”

“You’re doing well so far,” Sam says as she wraps her hands around the coffee cup again, seeking the warmth. She studies the man across from her and takes another drink, tilting her head to the side and worrying her lip with her teeth.

“What?” Jack asks.

“Do you want a relationship?” Sam counter-questions figuring in this situation it would do better to be blunt than beat around the bush, "Or was this just an itch you needed to scratch to get rid of your demons?"

“A relationship with you?”

“Yes.”

“I’d be an idiot not to,” Jack responds with a small grin, “Want has never been the thing that stopped me, Sam. I doubt it’s what’s been stopping you.”

Jack steps around to her side of the counter and stands a few inches in front of her, staring down into her blue eyes. He was instantly taken back to their weekend together when they had almost constantly stayed a clear deep sapphire instead of their usual dimensional shades of cornflower blue. Sam turns to face him and sighs as she reaches out to play with a button on his shirt. She snaps her hand back after a moment and shakes her head.

“You do realize either one of us needs a change in career or we have to fly by night…and we both know that won’t go well.”

“You’re the brains of our operation. What do we do?”

“I don’t know,” Sam shrugs as she looks at him, her blue eyes mildly sorrowful.

“Why don’t we keep taking it easy?” Jack suggests, “Maybe we’ll think of something.”

“Maybe,” Sam sighs and finishes her coffee before setting the mug down, “I should get going, it’s late.”

“Let me walk you out,” Jack says, putting his hand on the small of her back as he walks her out to her car. Sam clicks the key fob to unlock it before turning around to face him.

“I’m glad we were able to talk.”

“Me too.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“They do keep wanting me to come in. You know for those paychecks they give me,” Jack jokes. Sam laughs softly and shakes her head. He leans down and captures her lips in a soft kiss. Pulling away after a moment he smiles at her stunned expression, “See you tomorrow, Carter.”


	3. Chapter 3

Sam jumps as she works her flight suit up her body, over the space liner she already had on, stuffing her arms through the sleeves. She zips up and makes sure her patches were arranged before sitting down on the bench to lace her boots. After lacing up and tying her boots she grabs her helmet out of her bag and leaves the locker room, running into Jack in the hallway.

“Fancy running into you here,” She grins as they fall into step to head out to the hangar deck. She notices the slightly grumpy look on his face and tilts her head, “Everything okay, sir?”

“Fine, knee’s just not feeling the g’s today,” He replies as they follow one of the engineers to the fighter they were testing. It had been a few weeks since their talk, there had been no movement on the relationship front and the two of them were doing well to play it off like nothing had happened between them. 

They’d moved up another increment in the fighter prototypes based on goa’uld and other alien technology and he and Sam had been tapped to do a test run of the new Air Force toy. He knew she was itching to get into the cockpit, and he had been as well until his knee had started acting up the night before. He’d be fine to fly, but it wasn’t going to be comfortable.

“Have you had Doctor Fraiser take look at it?”

“Nah, it’ll be fine,” Jack indicates the storm clouds gathering in the far off distance, “Rain later.”

"Mmm," Sam nods as she looks at the horizon, "Yeah, weather said something about thunderstorms tonight."

The two continue their walk across the tarmac and make their way to the plane they were going to be piloting. Jack barely listens as the engineer babbles on, banking on Sam listening as takes the plane in himself. He hears Sam ask a couple questions before she looks at him with an arched eyebrow, silently asking if he had any questions. Jack shakes his head, "I'm good."

"Alright, you two are good to climb on up," The engineer tells them before heading back towards the control center. Sam takes a deep breath as she tries to quell the butterflies in her stomach. No matter how many times she climbed in a cockpit there were always butterflies fluttering around her insides until they got going.

"Rock, paper, scissors for lead?" Jack proposes.

"You don't want to do lead, sir?" Sam asks as she looks over at him.

"Not necessarily, I just thought I'd be nice and offer the chance for you to do it...maybe...if you win."

"Okay," Sam grins, "Best 2 out of 3?"

"On shoot?"

"Alright," Sam turns to face him and holds her hand out. They go three rounds with Sam pulling out the win in the end. She teasingly smashes Jack's scissors with her rock before climbing up the ladder to the front cockpit. Jack climbs into the back one and the two start to do their pre-flight checks as they drive to the take off strip.

“Navigation.”

“Check.”

“Oxygen, pressure, temperature control.”

“All check.” 

“Inertial dampners.”

“Check.”

“Engines.”

“All check.”

“Phasers?”

“Still no phasers, sir,” Sam grins, “All systems operational. Mission Command, all systems go from Abydos Two.”

“Copy that Abydos Two,” Mission Command rings through, “Good luck.”

Sam pulls the plane to a stop before flipping all of the switches she needs to and starting to power down the runway to take off. After they clear the ground they continue to call out speeds and distances to Mission Command until they get the all clear.

“Why don’t you stretch her legs a bit, Carter?” Jack radios through. The plane was being tested for ground warfare as well as interspace. They were taking it through a ground flight before climbing towards space for another test.

“Yes, sir,” Sam replies before increasing the speed of the plane, driving it through a couple of barrel rolls and quick dives before the butterflies still fluttering in her stomach decide to turn on her, making her green around the gills, “Sir, I think you need to take the controls.”

“You’re doing fine, let’s start the climb.”

“No, I _need_ you to take the controls,” Sam tells him. Jack confirms with confusion in his voice and she passes the controls over to him before tearing off her oxygen mask and barfing into the base of the cockpit.

“Mission Command, this is Abydos Two, abort mission, I repeat abort mission. I’ve got a sick pilot here.”

“Mission aborted. You’re clear to bring her in, Abydos Two.”

Jack slows the speed and lowers the nose into a landing position, trying to get a look over his console at Sam, “Carter, you alright?”

“Just dandy, sir,” She gasps into her mask before throwing up again. After a few more moments she sits up and wipes her mouth on her glove before putting her mask back on, “I’m going to need some new boots.”

“We’re almost on the ground,” Jack assures her as he continues to dive the jet until they make contact with the tarmac. By the time they pull back into the hangar the engineers and cleaning crew are waiting for them with less than amused looks. Jack climbs down first before helping Sam out, grimacing at the vomit splattered all over the floor, “You sure you’re alright?”

“I’m fine,” Sam shakes him off already feeling better after her explosive and embarrassing mishap. There were certain circles she was never going to live this down in. SGC was probably going to be one of them if any of them ever got wind of it, “Must have been that omelette I ate.”

“You should have gotten the Fruit Loops. Always good, no food poisoning,” Jack reprimands playfully before they both climb down the ladder. He claps one of the engineers on the shoulder, “Try again tomorrow?”

“Of course, sir,” The captain nods, giving Jack a strained smile.

“Sorry, Captain,” Sam apologizes before heading for the locker room, her boots squeaking slightly on the floor of the hangar. Once she gets inside she sits on the bench and leans down to unlace her boots, grimacing at the stains on them. She immediately throws them into the trash can, planning to pick a new pair up at the PX later that afternoon. 

Sam groans and reaches up as she feels tears pool in her eyes, swiping underneath hoping to stop them before they started. How could she be such a rookie and barf? She’d been flying for more than 15 years, for crying out loud. By the time she’s out of her flight suits and back in her BDUs with gym sneakers instead of her boots she’s calmed herself down and tidied up a bit, reapplying a little bit of her makeup. She leaves the locker room and makes her way down to the commissary grabbing a snack on her way to the actual lab section of the base. Of course, now she was starving. She finishes her snack on the walk before pushing into one of the labs and starting to talk to the other scientists and engineers that were pouring over some of the latest technologies brought back by the SG teams. By the time dinner rolls around Sam’s surprised when Jack taps her on the shoulder and asks if she was interested in dinner.

“As long as you’re not going to throw up all over your shoes again.”

“I think I’m done throwing up for the day, sir,” Sam has the nerve to blush slightly as she ducks her head before following him to the commissary. Even though she doesn’t feel sick any more Sam sticks to a relatively bland dinner of chicken noodle soup with some bread and blue jello. She eyeballs Jack’s loaded up tray, envious of his metabolism even though he had a good seven plus years on her. After dinner the two retire to the guest quarters for the evening. Sam undresses down to modest pajamas before curling up in bed with a novel, glad to read something that wasn’t an mission or science report.

In the morning they do another test flight and the engineering crew makes sure Sam has a sick bag stuffed in her suit before letting them take off. The flight is relatively uneventful for the both of them and they bring the bird back for a diagnostics check to run for the afternoon. Jack leaves soon after their flight, heading back to the mountain while Sam was going to stay behind for the rest of the week to work with the R and D department, coming back on Saturday. 

Upon Sam's return she finds that they were scheduled to leave on a mission Monday morning. She spends the rest of the weekend lounging around the house before retiring to her quarters on base late Sunday afternoon, getting her things together for their trip. She heads down to the infirmary when she’s beckoned for her pre-mission screening, hopping up on the table as she waits for Janet. The doctor checks her over from head to toe before taking a quick vial of blood and sending her to the bathroom with a urine sample cup as she runs the blood through a string of tests that could be run in their lab quickly. 

Janet frowns as she grabs the results printout, looking over the values presented to her. She takes another sample and runs it through the system once again, receiving near the same results. Tucking both of the sheets of paper into Sam’s file she makes her way to a supply locker before heading back into the exam room Sam was sitting in, the filled cup waiting for her on the tray sitting next to the bed. 

“You had me worried there for a second.”

“Just had to run another set of tests, machine malfunctioned the first time,” Janet fibs as she tears open a test strip she had tucked in the file and inserts it into the cup.

“Honestly I don’t even know why you bother with those tests anymore,” Sam rolls her eyes, “You told me yourself the chance of me getting pregnant is less than like what? Three percent after everything I’ve been through. And we can narrow that down to zero with how my personal life has been going.”

“Mmm,” Janet hums with a slightly disinterested tone as she stares at the strip, watching with interest as the test develops. She reaches into her pocket after a moment and grabs a stamp out, stamping the bottom of Sam’s current test sheet.

“Unfit for duty?! Janet?” Sam exclaims.

“How _has_ your personal life been going?” Janet asks with an arched eyebrow as she holds the folder to her chest, “I can’t let you go through the gate in your condition.”

“What condition?”

“Sam, you’re pregnant.”

“What? Janet, this isn’t funny,” Sam tells the doctor, an aggravated look on her face. After the SG1 team had gotten themselves into quite a few physical ordeals, including her experience with Jolinar, she had talked to the doctor about her chances of getting pregnant. Sam had always seen a couple of kids in her future, though when she was going to get to that future she had no idea. It's not like any of her dates or relationships ended up going well. After running a series of tests and consulting a fertility specialist that was a close friend of Janet’s with the proper clearance, the two of them had deduced that while it wouldn’t be impossible the chances were extremely low.

“I’m not joking, Sam. You know I wouldn’t joke about something like that,” Janet tells her before opening the folder and reading over the results again and checking them against Sam’s previous results, “Based on SG-1’s bit of a break lately, I’d say the last time we tested you you were only maybe one or two weeks along. Not within our range to hold a female officer from duty.”

“And now?”

“I’d put you between six and eight. HCG numbers aren’t entirely effective at pinpointing how far along a mother is.”

“What if I could give you an exact date?”

“That would be more helpful.”

“June 14th.”

“June 14th? That was the day I released you after you were captured,” Janet says as she makes a few notes in the Major’s file. Sam shrugs as her cheeks color, looking down at her hands, “You said nothing happened while you were in captivity.”

“Nothing did happen. It happened the day I went home.”

“You didn’t…he didn’t…”

“I had consensual sex with someone,” Sam lifts her head and looks Janet in the eye, “That’s all.”

“You know I have to tell the General about this.”

“I’ll tell him,” Sam says as she hops down from the table, “I assume we’re done right now?”

“Yeah,” Janet nods and closes Sam’s file, “I’d like to do an exam soon, make sure everything is okay.”

“Sure, I can come back later tonight, or tomorrow maybe.”

“I’ve got team exams until eight but then I’m free after that. I can stay late. Cassie is staying with a friend,” Janet tells Sam. The blonde nods before starting to make her way out of the room, “Sam."

“Huh?” Sam stops and turns.

“Congratulations,” Janet tells her with a smile. Sam offers a small quirk of the corner of her mouth before making her way up to General Hammond’s office. She knocks quietly on the door and waits for permission to enter before stepping inside, shutting the door behind herself.

“Major Carter, what can I do for you?”

“I, uh…I can’t go on the mission with SG-1 tomorrow, sir.”

“Well, why not?” Hammond closes the folder in front of him and folds his arms on his desk, regarding the blonde with a careful eye.

“You remember when we had that conversation about the thing that was probably never going to happen?” Sam replies to jog his memory, knowing how uncomfortable he had been after the conversation. After the testing she had gone through she knew if she ever did get pregnant it was a miracle that it even happened and wanted a failsafe in place for the trajectory of her career. She talked to the General and put things in place for an unlikely event.

“Vaguely.”

“Well, it happened,” Sam says, a slight hitch in her breath as she speaks, “Doctor Fraiser confirmed it just now. That's why I can't go out.”

“Well that does put quite a hitch in things,” Hammond comments as he opens a drawer and digs through some papers inside before pulling out an envelope that had Sam’s name on it. He flips it around in his hand a few times before pulling a set of papers inside out and reading them over, “You’re certain about this still?”

“Yes, sir,” Sam says, watching as Hammond scribbles his signature across the bottom of the paper before folding it up once again and putting it in the envelope. He grabs a second set of papers from inside and unfolds them before signing once again on the bottom.

“Major Samantha Carter you are relieved of your duty effective immediately. Doctor Samantha Carter, your position as Chief Scientist at the SGC begins tomorrow morning. 0800. We’ll finish the rest of the formalities in the morning.”

“Yes, sir, thank you, sir.” Sam nods. She turns to leave before she’s once again interrupted by the person behind her.

“Maj…Sam.”

“Yes, sir?” Sam responds as she turns around.

“You don’t have to call me sir anymore,” Hammond smiles.

“It’ll be a tough habit to break, sir,” Sam smiles back.

“Congratulations."

“Thank you, sir.”

“You know, babies…they can have a tendency to come ‘early’,” He responds, arching his eyebrow in question while also managing to maintain a knowing look on his face. Sam nods slowly.

“Of course.”

“Go home and get some rest.”

“Thank you,” Sam says again before leaving the office and closing the door quietly behind her. She makes her way back down the stairs and heads towards the infirmary again. She waits as Janet finishes up her last exam before making her way over and hopping up on the table again. 

“How’d it go?”

“I’m officially retired,” Sam heaves a sigh as she looks at her best friend.

“What?! Sam, that’s a little drastic don’t you think?” Janet exclaims as she continues to clean up from her evening of examinations, “It’s not like you couldn’t take a break from going off world until the baby’s born.”

“Janet, it’s a decision I made a long time ago,” Sam tells her as the doctor walks across the room to put the unused supplies back, grabbing a few things she’d need for Sam, “It’s not like I’m leaving completely. I’ll start tomorrow as Chief Scientist, a _civilian_ position.”

“So that’s it, you just quit and take a civilian position? You’re going to be okay with that?”

“I think so,” Sam nods, taking the gown Janet hands her, “After we did all of the testing and everything…I knew if I ever did end up getting pregnant that I…I couldn’t just take a year off to have a baby and come back to walk through the gate and leave them behind. We’ve been in binds before, Janet. And binds doesn’t even cover it. I just spent a month in a goa’uld prison - what if I’d had a kid at home thinking I was dead...”

“Okay, okay, okay,” Janet holds her hands up, “Go ahead and get changed, I’ll be right back alright?”

“Mmhm,” Sam nods getting off the table once Janet pulls the curtain. She changes into the gown and folds her clothes up, putting them on the chair next to the bed. She sighs as the paper crinkles under her weight before Janet speaks up.

“Decent?”

“As I can get in this thing,” Sam says. Janet pulls back the curtain slightly and wheels an ultrasound into the shroud. She gives Sam a few additional exams than she had earlier before turning the ultrasound machine on.

“So first one’s going to be an internal,” Janet explains as she preps, “We’ll use this probe to take a look instead of the usual wand.”

“Great,” Sam lets out dryly. She shifts uncomfortably when Janet inserts the probe before they both focus their attention on the fuzzy black and white screen, “Are you even going to be able to see anything this early?”

“Should be able to,” Janet assures her before turning the screen more towards Sam, “There you go.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it,” Janet nods, “Outer bubble is the gestational sack, and that little bean shaped thing is the embryo.”

“How big is it?”

“Measurements say about 10 millimeters. Or if you’d like something tangible to compare it to, a blueberry.”

“A blueberry?” Sam arches her eyebrow.

“Get ready to compare your baby to food for the next 33 weeks,” Janet teases. She turns the monitor back to face herself more before taking a more thorough look at things, “We learned ‘em all at med school. Grapefruits, cantaloupes, leeks.”

“Leeks?”

“Leeks,” Janet grins, “It helps a lot of women so they can grasp what’s going on inside of them.”

“I think we can just stick to measurements, I’m not comparing my child to a leek.”

“Okay,” Janet says playfully. She prints out a short strip of pictures before removing the probe and turning the machine off. She tears them off before handing them to Sam, “Everything is looking great so far. At least from what I can tell. Now we can set you up with an obstetrician from the Academy. I think there’s a couple that have the appropriate clearance to take you on…”

“Can you do it?” Sam asks as she sits up and folds up the pictures in her lap.

“I…I mean I could, technically. I haven’t done a lot of this in quite a while though.”

“I’d be more comfortable…I trust you, Jan. You know that.”

“Let me talk to some people, but I think we can make it work. So, pending any change in that I don’t see why we can’t start with the usual four weeks between appointments, if anything changes we’ll re-evaluate. And I’ll be putting your due date at March 7th. As you know this date can be flexible, babies show up when they want to.”

“Right.”

“Anything else I can do for you tonight?” Janet asks.

“No,” Sam shakes her head as she looks at the pictures she’d been handed.

“Go home and get some rest.”

“I know I don’t have to say this, but I have to say it…” Sam says as she looks at Janet, “If and when he asks, just give him the usual…”

“I can’t discuss your medical information with someone else.”

“Yeah, that one.”

“Of course,” Janet nods with a soft smile, “I am going to head home.”

“Have a good night,” Sam bids, waiting for the doctor to leave before changing back into her clothes. She heads down to the locker room and gathers her things. She looks at the pictures one last time and stuffs them into her backpack before heading for the exit. Making her way over to her bike Sam hikes her leg over the hunk of metal and puts her helmet on. She starts the engine and settles in before flipping the kick stand and leaving the mountain in her dust.


	4. Chapter 4

In the morning Sam watches from the control room as SG-1 gets ready to leave for their mission. She was dressed in civilian clothes; black slacks, a crisp light blue shirt, black block heel boots. Jack looks up at her as he pulls his lucky cap on before focusing on the wormhole as it opens. A temporary assignment had been made to the team so they would have four people in Sam’s absence, she knew it was going to take a lot longer than that to find a replacement for her. One of her first priorities was to start looking through personnel files to see who, in her opinion, would be the best fit. Not that it was going to meet Jack’s opinion. Sam sighs softly, watching as the team marches up the ramp and through the gate before the open wormhole collapses.

“Doctor Carter?” General Hammond calls. She turns around and offers him a smile before following him up to his office. There was paperwork to do.

It’s almost two weeks before SG-1 comes back from their mission, a little rough around the edges but with another victory against the goa’uld under their belt. Jack drops off a trinket in the lab on his way to the infirmary, dropping it on the table none so gently with a glare at Sam.

“Sir, I…” Jack walks away before Sam can complete her thought. She sighs and starts to process the item into their inventory, giving him a chance to cool off before approaching him again. She doesn’t get a chance until later in the afternoon, close to the end of her day. She makes her way down to the commissary knowing that he was going to be getting dinner. She notices his tray is filled with food and he has files out in front of him so she takes her time to grab dinner herself before making her way to his table and sitting down across from him. Jack only tilts his head slightly to acknowledge that it was she that she had sat down with him. Sam picks her fork up and sticks it into the mashed potatoes on her plate, eating for a while before she says something, “I didn’t have a choice, sir.”

“To just up and retire in the middle of the night, leaving us a man down?”

“Yes,” Sam says, “You know I wouldn’t have done that if I didn’t have a reason to.”

“Do I? I don’t seem to know much about you anymore. We’ve barely talked in weeks,” Jack says, “I thought we were supposed to be figuring something out.”

“Is me retiring not figuring things out?” Sam asks surprised that he had brought up their ‘relationship’ out in the open, “Communication works both ways, _Jack_.”

“This is chicken shit scaredy cat stuff.”

“You can’t have expected me to lead some charge to change the rules, they’ve been around for decades and decades. They’re not just going to change because of us,” Sam whispers furiously as he finally looks up at her, “I’m not just here to watch you come and go from the gate. I stuck around, alright? I didn’t just up and leave, Hammond gave me a civilian position to continue to help the SGC on it’s mission. I’m doing everything I did before, just without going through the gate.”

“Going through the gate is half the point!”

“I can’t anymore!” Sam glares as she looks at him, “I can’t.”

“Why can’t you? If we can do it, you can do it. I’ve never treated you any different than Daniel or Teal’c. You have never been a person that says ‘I can’t’,” He throws at her.

“You’re not pregnant! I am,” Sam hisses with a tinge of venom. At her admission her eyes flick around to make sure no one had heard. Thankfully the commissary was quiet this evening. Her eyes turn back to Jack as the red jello falls off of his spoon, “Can we please go somewhere else to discuss this?”

“Y-yeah,” Jack stutters, quickly piling his things together before leading Sam out and towards his quarters. Once they arrive Jack tosses the things onto his bed before turning around as Sam closes the door quietly, “So you… I mean you’re…”

“I’m pregnant,” Sam tells him again, realizing he wasn’t going to find any part of the sentence his brain seemed determined to try to form.

“When did this happen, uh, exactly?”

“Exactly? I’d have to say the entire weekend we spent in bed,” Sam rolls her eyes, her voice dripping with a level of sarcasm that was unusual for her, “It’s not like I have a line of suitors out the door.”

“Right, right.”

“Janet told me when I was getting my mission physical,” Sam says as she sits down on the end of the bed, “I didn’t want to distract you while you were gone so I waited. I don’t…expect anything, sir. I know it was just one time and I know that this is a surprise. I can get a different job. I can do thi…”

“No!” Jack exclaims before retreating, “I mean. I’m sure you could do this on your own. You can do anything you put your mind to. I just…don’t want you to.”

“You don’t want me to?” Sam asks, a furrow between her brow.

“I want to be involved,” Jack stresses, “I…I…”

“You?” Sam drawls.

“I love you, Sam,” He admits, the words falling out surprisingly smooth. Sam’s eyes widen as she looks up at him before she schools her features a little more.

“I thought you only ‘liked’ me."

“Carter,” Jack groans and spins around on his heel. He paces a couple steps forward before turning back around and pinning her with a dark look. He steps towards her and looks down into the wide blue eyes that were looking up at him. He studies her for a moment before he nods and sits down next to her. He bumps his shoulder against hers a small crinkle around his eyes, “I also love you.”

“I love you too,” Sam replies easily as she whispers. She reaches out and brushes her fingers over his before threading her fingers through his. Jack squeezes her hand and leans over kissing her softly. Sam hums and kisses him back before pulling away a few moments later. They study each other quietly before he breaks the silence.

“Marry me,” Jack asks abruptly as he looks into her eyes.

“What? No!” Sam exclaims and shakes her head, “Jack, I’m not going to marry you just because I’m pregnant. We haven’t even gone on a date.”

“What are you talking about we just had dinner together.”

“I had mashed potatoes. That’s not dinner, and the commissary is hardly the place for a date,” Sam shakes her head with a small grin, “No. I’m not saying no forever necessarily but…not right now. I think we still need to get to know each other before we jump into things.”

“Like having a kid together.”

“Like having a kid together,” Sam laughs and Jack smiles. He reaches up and strokes her cheek. Sam leans into his touch and sighs softly. She presses a kiss to his palm and sits up more, digging in the pocket of her lab coat. She pulls out the pictures that Janet had given her during her first exam, and holds them out to him, “They’re a little old already but, I thought you’d like to see them.”

“Definitely,” Jack says as he unfolds the strip and looks at the grainy black and white pictures, “Look at that."

“What?”

“Smartest kid in the universe right there,” Jack grins slightly before handing the pictures back to her. Sam tucks them back into her pocket and pushes her self up from the bed, “You heading home or…”

“I am going to get more mashed potatoes if there’s any left, and then I have a little bit of work I need to wrap up in the lab.”

“Mind if I walk with you?”

“Not at all,” Sam smiles. She and Jack make their way down the hall once more towards dinner. Sam notices the people whispering in the corners, while Jack seems oblivious.

“What’s with the potatoes?” Jack asks.

“Hmm?” Sam hums as she looks up at him.

“Mashed potatoes?”

“Oh, bland enough it helps with the nausea,” Sam says, “It’s been a little bit of trial and error of what to not eat…and even still it’s lasting all day.”

“Ah,” Jack nods, “That explains the…”

“…fighter run,” Sam colors as she pushes her way through the commissary doors. She gathers another helping of mashed potatoes, sans the gravy, and a fork before standing at the end of the line waiting for Jack, “I do need to talk to you tomorrow about potential replacements for your team. I’ve pulled together some files and you’ll need to start testing people out.”

“Carterrrrr,” Jack whines as he grabs his silverware. Sam rolls her eyes and wanders over to an empty table with him, standing as he sits down.

“Tomorrow, not right now,” She tells him.

“Fine, put something on the books.”

“You don’t have books,” Sam reminds him, “Meet me in my lab at 1000 tomorrow morning, I’ll only need an hour of your time.”

“You got it,” Jack mock salutes with his fork. Sam knocks her knuckles gently on the table with a smile before making a beeline for her lab. A couple moments after she leaves Teal’c and Daniel sit down across from Jack with their own trays. Daniel only lasts a couple of moments before he speaks.

“So, how are things?” 

“Oh for cryin’ out loud,” Jack drops his fork and rolls his eyes as he looks up from his food, “What?!”

“You and Sam were arguing?”

“You don’t even try to be subtle about it anymore do you?” Jack gripes.

“I’ve figured out you don’t do subtle,” Daniel fires back the two of them staring each other down, “What’s going on?”

“Carter’s out,” Jack replies, looking away from Daniel as he picks his fork up again and spears a piece of broccoli on his plate, “She’s retiring…well retired. It’s already processed.”

“She retired!?” Daniel exclaims, his mouth gaping while Jack chews.

“Personal reasons. Hammond’s keeping her on as a civilian in the science department. Running the whole thing if you can believe it,” He informs them, the corner of his mouth turns up slightly.

“Does this mean MajorCarter will no longer be joining us on missions?”

“Yeah, T. No more going through the gate for her. At least for a while. I’m sure she won’t be able to stay away,” Jack replies as he continues to eat slowly. Daniel open and closes his mouth a couple times and Jack rolls his eyes as he looks at the archeologist, “What Daniel?”

“I…I mean that’s extremely abrupt. She seemed fine before you guys left for Area 51. Did something happen?” Daniel inflects as he looks at Jack with an arched eyebrow.

“She’s fine. It’s just something she had to do,” Jack answers, “I’m sure now that we’re back she’ll talk to you guys.”

Sam leaves the base a little before eight that evening and makes her way home, making a quick pitstop at the grocery store. She smiles when she sees a giant truck parked in her driveway on the opposite side of where she parks. She pulls her car into the garage and grabs the groceries out of the back seat, watching with interest as she sees no movement from the truck. She makes her way over and laughs softly as she finds Jack asleep in the front seat, his head pressed against the driver’s side window. She taps her knuckles on the glass and grins as he starts awake and yawns as he moves to open the door. 

“You have a key, couldn’t you have just gone inside?”

“I didn’t think you were going to be so long,” Jack says as he climbs down, automatically reaching out to take the paper grocery bag from her.

“Thanks. How long have you been here?”

“Time is it?”

“About 845.”

“Bout an hour.”

“Sorry, if I had known that you were waiting…” Sam trails off as she opens the door to the house and reaches up to press the button to close the garage door. Jack sets the groceries on the counter before turning around and wrapping his arms around her waist, “Well hello there.”

“Hi,” Jack whispers before pulling her into a hug. Sam wraps her arms around him easily, a surprised look on her face. She didn’t think that Jack O’Neill was the kind of person to just randomly hug someone. After a few moments Jack whispers again, “Stop thinking.”

“Sorry, I’m just…”

“I know,” Jack says as he pulls back, leaving his hands on her hips, “I just wanted to stop by and let you know that I meant what I said earlier. I want to be involved in this, as much as you’ll let me.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” She tells him, her hand resting on his chest.

“Daniel and Teal’c…I told them that you retired. But that’s all I told them,” He explains to her, “I thought I should warn you before you get cornered tomorrow morning when you go in.”

“Thank you for the warning,” She laughs softly, “I will tell them eventually, maybe a couple weeks…”

“Well at least tell Daniel you’re not dying.”

“I will do that,” She grins.

“I also wanted to ask you to dinner.”

“Well, it’s a little late…"

“Not tonight. How about Thursday? I can pick you up at six, and we can go get dinner. And get to know each other, outside of the mountain.”

“Thursday night hmm? I don’t get Friday?”

“Well, I have to leave my Friday night open for some other options. You have to work your way up to Friday’s actually,” Jack teasingly explains.

“You leave on a mission to P4X-938 on Friday afternoon,” Sam points out.

“I leave on a mission to P4X-938 on Friday afternoon,” Jack laughs. Sam smiles up at him and nods.

“Thursday night sounds great.”


	5. Chapter 5

Thursday afternoon Sam leaves work a little early to head home and get ready for her ‘date’ with Jack. She lets herself into the house and drops her purse by the front door before heading to the living room to turn the stereo on, cranking up the volume a little bit. She hums along to the song as she climbs the stairs to her bedroom. The doors to her closet get thrown open and she starts to flip through the series of dresses she had hanging. Most of the pieces were rather closeted and modest, decent enough if she ever ran into anyone from base in town. There were her Class A’s that Jack had looked her up and down a couple extra times in. She had a couple sets of skirts and blouses for those. Some blouses for work, a couple of skirts, and then a few of what she would consider her “date” dresses. She pulls out two and lays them out on the bed. 

One was a classic black, the other was a deep sapphire blue. The black was sleeveless, dipped a little low, but was usually softened with a pastel cardigan. It brushed her knees and she could usually pair with with a pair of flats she had or a pair of heels depending on her date. It was standard, it was simple, it got the job done. The sapphire however, the sapphire she wore when she wanted to stun. The dress was a long sleeve boat neck that showed off her shoulders and collarbone. It scooped low in the back and hit a few inches above her knee to really show off some leg. 

Sam had no idea where he was taking her. The both times he’d asked her on a date he had just said to have dinner with him. The first time he’d mentioned a nice Italian restaurant. She wasn’t sure what qualified as nice to Jack. If they’d end up going to Olive Garden or to the trendy new place downtown. This time he hadn’t mentioned anything specifically. She sighs as she looks at the dresses, tugging on the hem of the black one. She knew it was the safer choice, it would really fit in anywhere they went. But the sapphire was so appealing. She already felt like she only had a couple more months she could ‘flaunt it’ before her pregnancy really kicked in, not that she was going to let it impact her style any. Sam snorts to herself, right style. Her mandated style for the last twenty years had been BDUs in varying colors of Air Force blue, grey, black, or military green.

Sam puts away the black dress and grabs the shoes for the sapphire dress along with a fresh set of lingerie that went specifically with the dress. She picks out some jewelry before heading into the bathroom to shower and clean up. Once she gets out of the shower she takes the time to do her hair, getting the short cut to fall in some semblance of waves before starting on her makeup, only adding a little bit more oomph to her daily ritual. She puts her earrings in and clasps her necklace on, a small diamond set that had belonged to her mother. Oh god she still had to talk to her father about all of this.

She shakes her head to get rid of that thought deciding to tackle it when she came to it. His appearances since joining the tok’ra were sporadic and she didn’t just want to call him because of a personal issue. She supposed she should probably let her brother know as she starts getting dressed. She and Mark were never close, but she knew he would want to know and if she could tell him before telling her father that would get her some brownie points in the end. 

Sam frowns as she finds herself busting at the seams in the bra she’d specifically purchased to go with the dress. Another fashion issue she would need to fix. She’d spent most of her time in sports bras while at work and only had a few regular ones that still fit right. She flings the scrap of fabric onto the bed and decides to go topless as she pulls the dress on. She tugs up the zipper and straightens the fabric out in a few places before looking at herself in the mirror. Oh, she looked good. She hears the rumble of Jack’s truck outside and looks out the bedroom window just in time to see him pull into the drive. She pulls her shoes on and makes her way downstairs, grabbing her purse just as he rings the doorbell. She unlocks the door and pulls it open a bright smile on her face.

“Hi.”

“Whoa…” Jack mumbles as he looks her over giving Sam a moment to look him over, letting out an internal ‘whoa’ herself. He was dressed in a charcoal grey suit with a white shirt open at the collar. He even had shined shoes on. He looked like a walking GQ dream.

“You look great,” They both say at the same time, earning a laugh and diverted eyes in response. Jack clears his throat and scratches the side of his head as he looks up at her again.

“So, ready to go?”

“Let me just turn the music off and then we can go,” Sam says before walking off towards the living room to turn the stereo off. Jack gulps as he catches sight of the back of her dress, the low dip taunting him as she disappears around the corner for a moment. She comes back a moment later, throwing another thousand watt smile in his direction as she pulls the door closed and locks it, “So where are we headed?”

“I got us reservations at that trendy new place downtown if you’re interested,” Jack offers as he puts his hand on the small of her back and walks her over to his truck. He opens the door for her and moves around to help her up only to find himself half hard at the image of her heaving herself up into the cab in high heels and the tiny sapphire colored dress.

“Sounds great,” Sam breathes with a soft smile. Jack closes the door and jogs around to the driver’s side of the truck, pulling himself up as well. He backs out of her driveway and points them towards downtown. 

“How was the rest of your day?” Jack asks as they drive along. He had stopped by earlier in the day to review the candidate pool that she had given him. They had worked together with the upcoming mission calendar to decide how to test people out. He felt a little more confident afterward that they would at least find a worthwhile replacement, but he was confident they would never replace Sam.

“Fine, I spent most of the afternoon taking apart…” Jack zones out a little bit as she talks, trying to pop in a question occasionally until they pull up in front of the restaurant. He manages to find them a parking spot on the street, backing into it expertly before cutting the engine and jumping down. He goes around to Sam’s side and opens the door for her, helping her down from her perch before hitting the lock button on his keys, “Anyway. We still have to get it to work, but I have some ideas for tomorrow.”

“That’s good,” Jack smiles at her as they walk towards the restaurant. He holds the door open for her when they approach and gives the host his name once they’re inside. The two of them are lead to a table for two in the middle of the restaurant and each given a menu before they’re left to wait for their waiter. Jack gives the menu a quick skim, zoning in on the fact that they had mashed potatoes as a side deciding to joke with Sam, “I swear if you get mashed potatoes tonight…”

“Oof, I think I’m over them already…though these have cheese on them…” Sam says with slight interest as she finds the item on the menu. She looks up as the waiter comes over, offering a slight smile as they’re read the specials for the evening before being asked what they wanted to drink.

“I think I’ll stick with water,” Sam says before looking across at Jack.

“Ah, Guinness?”

“Of course, sir,” The waiter nods before going to get Jack’s beer.

“Ah, ah, ah,” Jack stops him after coming to his senses, “Is it on tap?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good, thanks,” Jack lets him go before looking back at his menu, noticing Sam looking at him with a bemused grin, “What?”

“Is it on tap?”

“I refuse to drink it out of a can,” Jack says with a false air of pretentiousness. Sam laughs and shakes her head as she looks down at her menu. He gives her a couple minutes to peruse before speaking up, “So what looks good?”

“The salmon dish sounds good to me, maybe some asparagus on the side. What about you?”

“The hangar steak was getting me,” Jack says as he closes his menu just as the waiter comes back with his beer, setting it down on the table.

“Have you two decided what you’d like to order or did you still need a few minutes?”

“I think we’re ready,” Jack replies, looking at Sam for permission. She nods and closes her menu as well handing it over to him, “I will take the hangar steak, medium. And the lady will have the salmon with a side of asparagus.”

“The chef generally cooks that a little more on the medium rare side did you…”

“Cooked through, please.”

“Alright, I will put those in for you,” The waiter smiles before retreating once again.

“I thought you couldn’t eat fish,” Jack points out, remembering the doctor telling them when Sara was pregnant with Charlie.

“Sushi, and stuff that’s super high in mercury,” Sam explains, “At least that’s what Janet told me. No lunchmeat or soft cheeses either."

“Weird…”

“It has to do with bacteria,” Sam explains lightly before taking a drink of her water, “So, Jonathon O’Neill…what’s a boy like you doing in a place like this?”

“What’s a girl like you doing with a boy like me in a place like this?” Jack counters with a grin.

The two of them spend a while at dinner, talking and chatting over their meals and dessert before Jack pays the bill and they make their way back to the truck. He drives her home in a comfortable silence and parks the truck in the driveway before getting out and going around to her side, helping her down. He walks her up to her door and stops her as she digs to get her keys out. 

“Sam…” Jack says softly. Sam looks up at him with a bit of nervousness in her eyes, her keys dangling in her fingers, “I had a really, really great time tonight.”

“Me too,” Sam breathes out, giving Jack a wide smile. He leans down and presses his lips to hers, drawing her into a deep kiss, putting his hands on her hips. Sam drops her keys back into her purse and places her hands on his chest as she kisses him back, moaning as she melts into his hold. They pull apart after a few moments and Sam slowly opens her eyes, offering a hazy smile at her companion, “That was nice.”

“That was very nice,” Jack agrees, pecking her lips softly once more, “My beautiful girl.”

“I’d invite you in, but…I’d like to take this a little slow,” Sam mumbles against his lips, her skin flushing at his compliment. Her insides tingled at the way that he immediately called her his.

“Okay,” Jack agrees as he kisses her again. Sam succumbs for a few moments before pushing her date back and giving him a look. He grins and winks at her, pulling her hand from his chest, “Good night, Samantha.”

“Good night, Jonathon.” Jack waits for Sam to go inside and lock the door before walking back to his truck, a little pep in his step.

A week later finds Sam laying on her back in the infirmary, hoping that Jack was going to show his face before the end of her appointment with Janet.

"Did I miss anything?" Jack asks as he jogs into the infirmary and Sam peels her eyes away from the ceiling. His meeting with General Hammond had run over and he was getting antsy as he looked at each clock he passed on his way down, not wanting to miss Sam's first official appointment.

"Just the boring stuff," Sam assures him with a smile.

"How's everything looking?"

"Just fine," Janet assures him as she pulls the ultrasound machine over, "We are going to try the regular wand today, see if we can't get a good picture. Shirt up please."

Sam rolls the bottom of her shirt up and shifts her pants down slightly. Janet tucks a piece of cloth into the front of Sam's pants before grabbing the bottle of gel off of the cart. She gives it a good shake before telling Sam it was going to be cold as she squirts some out onto her stomach. Sam jumps at the icy coolness of the gel before relaxing as it starts to warm. Janet grabs the regular wand and turns the machine on before starting to scan across Sam's stomach. She presses deeper as she moves lower before smiling as she finds what she's looking for.

"A lot bigger than the last time we took a look," Janet tells them as she does her own initial exam before turning the screen to face them.

"Oh my god," Sam's eyes widen as she looks at the ultrasound. A few weeks before she'd been looking at a bean shaped blob, now it actually looked like something resembling a baby, "That's...that's..."

"Pretty crazy huh?" Janet smiles.

"Yeah," Sam breathes out with a nod, "How big is it?"

"Within normal range, but on the larger side. About 7 centimeters."

"What does that mean?" Jack asks, finally poking his nose in. Janet snickers as Sam rolls her eyes, knowing they weren't going to get around the no food rule she'd invoked the last time.

"About the size of a lime, sir. Give or take."

"Ah, more sense."

"Really? That makes more sense to you than seven centimeters?" Sam asks.

"Not all of us are astrophysicists, Carter," Jack reminds her in a playfully snotty tone.

"You are such a smart alec, you know what centimeters are," Sam calls him out.

"Children," Janet reprimands, "I'm beginning to see this kid's personality already."

Sam laughs and Jack glares at Janet before she sweetly smiles at him and presses another button on the machine and a soft whooshing fills the room at a rapid pace. Behind it is a heavier thumping, slower, but keeping in time with the rapid whooshes.

"What is that?" Sam asks as she listens.

"That is the heartbeat," Janet tells them, "Faster one is the fetus, slower one is yours Sam."

"That's it's heart?"

"Mmhm, strong and steady," Janet says as she looks at the rate on the screen. Sam looks up at Jack and gives him a bright smile, squeezing his hand tight in hers. Janet lets the heartbeat go for a few more moments before printing out pictures and turning off, handing Sam a couple of kleenex, "Everything looks good from my point of view, any questions?"

"I don't think so," Sam shakes her head and looks at Jack as she cleans off her stomach, "You?"

"No I'm good," Jack shakes his head, "When are we doing this again?"

"Every four weeks," Janet tells him as she makes notes on Sam's chart, "I would like to do an ultrasound each time. I know it seems excessive, but with you two we're dealing with some... _physiological oddities_. So I want to keep an eye on growth and everything."

"You don't think there's anything wrong do you?"

"No, no, no, no, no. I just want to keep an eye on things," Janet reassures them with a soft smile.

"Okay," Sam nods and fixes her outfit before standing up, "Anything else today?"

"I don't think so," Janet smiles at her, "I'm always here if you have any questions."

"Thanks Janet," Sam replies with a smile before following Jack out, "Meeting run over?"

"Yes," Jack groans, "I thought it was never going to end."

"Oh you poor thing," Sam teases as she folds her lab coat over her arm, "I have to get back, I was running some tests when I left."

"When am I going to see you again?" Jack asks, lowering his voice after looking around the empty hallway.

"I'm busy this afternoon and you're leaving in the morning."

"After work?"

"If you want to go grocery shopping."

"Sure!" Jack jumps at the chance to spend a little bit of time with Sam, "I'll meet you at your place at six?"

"Okay," Sam laughs and backs away from him before heading in the opposite direction. Jack tilts his head as he watches her walk away. He couldn't decide if he liked her ass in tight slacks or her BDUs more. He shakes his head to clear his mind before going back to what he was doing.

Later in the day, Jack pulls into Sam's driveway at 5:55 and jumps out of the truck after he turns it off. He makes his way up to Sam's front door and rings the doorbell, jumping when Sam opens it a millisecond later and leaves it open as she runs up the stairs.

"Be ready in a second."

"Take your time," Jack says as he steps inside and shuts the door behind him. Sam comes bouncing down a few minutes later dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt, holding a pair of tennis shoes.

"I got back from work late and was just going to change when you got here," Sam explains as she sits down on a bench in her entryway to put her shoes on.

"I am in no rush," Jack tells her, holding his hands up, "I just have to be on base at 0700 tomorrow, what we do until then is completely open."

"You wish," Sam arches her eyebrow as she looks up at him before getting up and grabbing her purse from the entry table, "Ready?"

"Always," Jack says, opening the door and holding his hand out, "After you."

"Smartalec," Sam shakes her head with a grin before walking out and waiting for him to shut the door. She locks up before walking with Jack towards the car, unlocking it remotely. Jack gets into the passenger side and finds himself squished up against the dashboard.

"Christ, Carter. Who was the last person to sit here?"

"Cassie," Sam tells him as she thinks back. Jack finds the adjustment lever and pulls it before pushing back the seat quite a few notches, extending his legs.

“Shorty."

"About a foot shorter than you," Sam notes as she turns the engine on and backs out of the driveway. She looks over as she drives towards the grocery store and finds Jack staring at her, "What?"

"Nothing, I just like looking at you," Jack replies.

"Who knew you were such a romantic," Sam teases as she reaches out and pinches his cheek. Jack slaps her hand away, making her laugh.

"I miss having you on our missions," Jack admits.

"You've only gone out a few times since I left."

“Still, enough," Jack shrugs, "You sure you want to be retired? I get that you can't go through the gate right now, and that I'd still have to spend a year without you on the team anyway, but what about after?"

"After I'll have a baby to look after and care for," Sam reminds him, "I didn't make this decision lightly. Besides...if I undo all of that, we don't get to have...this."

"What? Me going to the grocery store with you?"

"Yes! This all goes away if I ever go back in. You know how strict the frat regs are...even now someone could potentially investigate us for working in the same office."

"Why can't I have both?" Jack whines.

"Cause life's a bitch," Sam pats him on the leg before pulling into the parking lot of the grocery store. She finds a parking space relatively close to the door and puts the car into park before looking over at Jack. She strokes his cheek as she studies his face, sensing his inner turmoil, "I can't leave our baby behind for both of us to go jump around on other planets and fight aliens. It's bad enough that you'll still be doing that..."

"I know," Jack sighs. Sam leans over and presses a kiss to his temple before pulling back and patting his cheek.

"Come on, come buy groceries with me."

"I will come buy groceries with you," Jack says, sitting up more before getting out of the car. Sam waits for him at the bumper before falling into step with him as they head inside. Jack grabs a cart for them and pushes it along side Sam as she shops. Occasionally he grabs something and throws it in the cart as they make their way through the store in a compatible silence. Once they get to the checkout lanes Jack takes charge of loading things onto the belt. Sam hands him the bread and eggs at the end before pushing the cart forward.

"Paper or plastic?"

"Paper, please," Sam responds as she digs her wallet out of her purse. Jack loads the bags into the the cart as the bagger finishes them. He goes to push Sam out of the way before she can swipe her card, using his body to create a wall between her and the credit card machine, "Jack!"

"Ah, ah, ah, I'm paying, Carter," Jack tells her as he swipes his card. He eyeballs her before using his hand to cover the PIN pad.

"Oh my god," Sam rolls her eyes and crosses her arms as she glares at the back of his head, "You are such a..."

"Generous human being?" Jack says as he takes the receipt and tucks it in into one of the bags before pushing the cart towards the exit.

"I was going to use exactly none of those words."

"I believe what you're looking for is, 'Thank you, Jack'."

"Thank you, Jack," Sam says reluctantly as she follows him out to the car, "You didn't have to do that you know?"

"I know," Jack says waiting for her to open the trunk. He loads everything in and Sam takes the cart back to the corral before meeting him back at the car and getting in. Sam takes Jack’s hand in hers as they drive back to her house, her thumb stroking back and forth over his knuckles. Jack watches with interest as she seems to do it absentmindedly as she makes her way home. This time she pulls into the garage and cuts the engine before pressing the button for the trunk release. She squeezes Jack’s hand before letting go and getting out of the car. She goes around to the back of the car and grabs a bag out before heading towards the door into the house, “Here let me take that.”

“I’ve got it,” Sam assures him with a smile as she twists out of his way before continuing her mission to get to the door, “It’s the light bag. There’s plenty of heavy ones for you to grab.”

“Perfect,” Jack says as he heads for the trunk, grabbing up a few bags before following her inside. He sets the bags down on the island before going out to get the rest. Sam shakes her head at him and begins to unload, figuring he wasn’t going to let her lift another bag (or anything else it seemed) for the rest of the evening. Jack closes the door with his foot after he gets the last bags, shoving them up onto the counter.

“You know I’m allowed to carry things right? I didn’t suddenly lose all of my lifting capability when I got pregnant.”

“I know, I just…thought I’d help.”

“Okay,” Sam says skeptically as she offers him one of the bags of chips that he had put in the cart, “You can go turn the tv on if you want. It’ll only take a few minutes for me to put this away.”

“Alright,” Jack takes the bag from her and heads towards the living room. Sam continues putting the groceries away before folding the bags up and putting them in her recycling bin. She takes her shoes off and grabs a can of diet soda and a bottle of beer before heading towards the living room as well. She sinks down on the couch next to Jack and holds the bottle out towards him before popping the tab on the can. She takes a sip before setting the can on the coffee table. She settles into his side and puts her feet up next to his, smiling as his arm automatically comes around her shoulders.

“What are we watching?”

“Simpsons reruns,” Jack responds as he holds the bottle between his legs and twists the top off with his free hand. He tosses the cap onto the table before taking a sip, “Unless you wanted to watch something else.”

“No, this is fine,” Sam says, sighing softly as she smoothes her hand over her stomach, straightening out her shirt. Jack notices after a few episodes that she’s fallen asleep, the empty can of soda barely encased in her fingers. He sets his bottle down and takes the can from her, setting it next to the bottle. He shifts his position and easily lifts her frame into his arms. He carries her upstairs and lays her in bed, draping a blanket over her before heading back downstairs. He cleans up in the living room and turns the light off before going to put the chips away in the kitchen. He opens and closes a few cupboards before finding the right one, rolling up the top of the bag before putting it inside. He finds a piece of scrap paper in one of the drawers and leaves a small note before he turns the light off in the kitchen and leaves the house, making sure to lock the door behind himself.


	6. Chapter 6

“Carter,” Jack says as he walks into her lab, picking up the first thing he can get his hands on as she finishes talking to one of the other scientists and signing off on a form. She was dressed in navy slacks and a maroon top he’d never seen before. If you looked at the right angle her belly was starting to stretch out the waist of the shirt and the pants. He grins as the young girl scuttles away, leaving them alone.

“Yes, sir, what can I do for you?” Sam asks as she takes the item out of Jack’s hands and puts it down on the table where it had been.

“Fishing?”

“Noooo,” Sam draws out with a confused look, “I’m working.”

“I mean do you want to go fishing?” Jack clarifies as he picks up something else. Sam sighs and decides to let him fidget with that one, deciding it wasn’t going to do any harm to her work.

“I’m kind of in the middle of a work day here.”

“I’ve got time off, come to Minnesota with me tonight.”

“It’s Wednesday.”

“Take some vacation time.”

“I was planning on saving that for a few months from now,” She says with a pointed look.

“Carterrrr.”

“Sir.”

“It’s two days, please, we can leave tonight, spend the weekend there.”

“Leave tonight? I'd have to organize what everyone's going to do for two days, and pack.”

“I can pack for you.”

“Jack, I need a little more notice than five hours before,” Sam tells him. Jack frowns and sighs, setting the item in his hand down.

“Fine.”

“Look, if I can get a flight on Friday after work I’ll come up and spend the weekend with you. It’s not that I don’t want to go. I just have stuff that I need to do.”

“No, no, it’s fine. You’ll come on Friday if you can.”

“I have a meeting I need to go to. If I don’t see you before you leave…” Sam leans up and pecks his cheek. She squeezes his arm before escaping from her lab and heading off down the hall. Jack sighs and puts the thing in his hands down before going to change so he could go home and pack.

Sam finds her path interrupted later in the afternoon when General Hammond stops her in the hall on her way back to her lab.

“Sir.”

“Doctor Carter, I’m surprised you’re still on base.”

"Why's that?" Sam asks confused.

"I was under the impression that Colonel O'Neill was going to be spending his time off in Minnesota. I thought he might have asked you to join him."

"Ah, he did, sir. I told him I couldn't get away on such short notice. I thought I'd go up for the weekend," Sam explains.

"Your time off request has been granted."

"Ah...sir?" Sam tilts her head.

"I need you to go with him. He has been unconscionably irritating lately."

"That's his normal personality, sir. There's not much I can do about that."

"If he goes to Minnesota without you he will be worse when he gets back, and I don't know if I can stop myself from court marshaling him for simply being too much of a smart alec," Hammond explains, "I'll give you the time off, free of charge, if you just go with him and take your cell phone with you in case there's any reason we need to contact you."

"Sir, I can't just..."

"Don't make me make it an order."

"Yes, sir," Sam sighs, knowing he couldn't order her around but falling victim to the stern Texas accent anyway, "Let me just let everyone know I'll be out and then I'll head home to pack."

"Good. Have a good weekend."

"Thank you, sir," Sam side steps the General before continuing on her way back to the lab. She packs up what she had been working on and exchanges her lab coat for her purse on the rack in the corner. She makes her way down to the group labs and goes through letting everyone know that she would be out for the next two days and to call her on her cell if they needed anything. Sam makes her way to the top of the mountain and heads home, grabbing a small suitcase she had in the closet before starting to toss clothes in it. She didn't even know what the weather was supposed to be but assumed that it would be at least a little summer like. She packs one pair of pants and a sweatshirt before zipping up and changing into something more comfortable to travel in, deciding that her shirt was still okay but changing her slacks out for jeans and her work shoes out for a pair of sandals. She just about walks out of the bedroom with her suitcase before turning back and going into the bathroom, stuffing various toiletries into the outer pocket along with her cellphone charger. She zips that pocket up before finally heading downstairs and leaving, heading for the airport.

She makes her way up to the ticket counter for the airline she knew Jack flew, requesting a ticket for the flight to Duluth. The flight was more expensive, but Jack had worked out a deal to be able to keep his Jeep at the airport free of charge since it also functioned as an Air Force hub. And then it was less of a drive to the cabin on the other side.

"Was there a gentleman here earlier that purchased a ticket for the flight?"

"Just about twenty minutes ago."

"Is there any way I could get the seat next to him?"

"Um, sure. Just one second," Sam waits as she taps on the keyboard for a few moments before giving her the total for the flight. She hands her credit card over and thanks the woman when she hands her her card back along with the ticket, asking her to sign on the bottom of a receipt. Sam scribbles her signature before thanking the woman and heading for security. It only takes her a few minutes to get through, not too many people at the Colorado Springs airport, well...ever really. 

Sam looks at the ticket for the gate they were leaving out of before heading in that direction, easily spotting Jack sitting and waiting for the plane with a duffel bag at his feet. He looked irritated as he waited for the plane to start boarding and Sam could only imagine how he had been acting around the General and the rest of the team. She makes her way over and wheels her bag up next to him before asking if the seat was taken when he doesn't lift his head.

"Yeah it's all..." Jack's eyes widen a bit as he processes the voice that had just spoken before lifting his head and looking up at Sam.

"Apparently I'm here to stop you from being unconscionably irritable."

"That's a big word."

"I don't like having to take off work because I'm supposed to be your handler."

"You're not my handler."

"And yet the General seems to think I am," Sam says dryly taking a seat next to him.

"You don't have to come you know? You could have just taken the two days off," Jack gripes. Sam sighs and drops her head back, staring at the ceiling for a moment before lifting her head and turning to look at him.

"Jack, I always wanted to come. But I don't get rack time anymore. I have to think about how I'm going to use my vacation time. Right now a lot of it is allotted to the baby because I don't know what's going to happen in the next six months."

"You should have negotiated for unlimited vacation time," Jack says after a few more quiet moments of stewing. Sam laughs and nudges him with her shoulder.

"Oh I'm sure the federal government would have loved that."

"What do they know? I'm pretty sure we're already in debt, what's a couple of your vacation days worth?"

"You just want to know how much money I make," Sam replies teasingly.

"It's more than I make isn't it?"

"It's more than I used to make, though if it's more than you I have no idea. I always assumed they had to up the ante a little bit when you came back in."

"Adjusted for inflation with a pay bump," Jack shrugs.

"Well, if you keep wooing me one day I might let you see my checkbook."

"That's really what I've been going for you know. The checkbook, nothing else," Jack grins. Sam laughs and shakes her head before looking up as they call boarding for their flight.

"Is this flight ever full?" Sam asks as she regards the short line of people.

"Not when I've been on it. I'm always surprised they still fly it," Jack says as they stand and get into line.

"Probably because of you," She tells him as she hands her ticket over to be scanned. She makes her way onto the plane and finds their seats relatively close to the front. She grabs the handle of her bag and hefts it up into the overhead bin before she feels Jack's body press against her back as he puts his bag in next to hers.

"I wish you would let me get that."

"And I wish you wouldn't be such a caveman, but we can’t always get what we want," Sam smiles at him as she slips into the window seat.

"Hey, I got the window seat."

"Well now I have the window seat," Sam says as she pats the middle seat for him. Jack sighs and sinks down into the middle seat as he looks at his girlfriend.

"You know you're a pai..."

"I'm a what?" Sam interrupts, giving him a doe eyed look.

"Perfect angel is what I was going to say."

"Sure it was," Sam pecks him on the lips before busying herself with buckling her seatbelt. She pulls the strap tight and sighs as she settles back in her seat with her hand on her stomach. She'd developed the habit after she had noticed a bit of a belly showing, but was trying to be conscious of it while she was at work during the day. Jack settles in his seat and rolls his head to look over at Sam who was looking out the window. He nudges her hand with his knuckle to get her attention.

"How's the nugget?"

"Fine," Sam smiles, surprised that he had asked. They rarely ever talked about the baby directly. Some days their relationship just seemed like a deeper friendship than the two of them actually dating. They were cautiously stepping around each other, almost afraid to make the other aware they were there, "Just doing that growing thing right now."

"How are you?"

"Better than I was a couple weeks ago. The nausea is finally going away and I actually feel like eating things. More energy. I feel bad that I've fallen asleep on you the last few times we went back to my place."

"Don't worry about it," Jack shakes his head, "You need your rest."

"You sound almost as bad as Janet," Sam grins, "You should hear how high her voice gets if I'm still in my lab past 1800."

"I'd try to get my voice that high but you'd probably pass out from laughing."

"Probably," Sam nods in agreement. She looks up and away from Jack as she listens to the flight attendant announcements as well as the safety walkthrough. Once they're done and the plane starts to taxi across the runways she turns her attention back to Jack, "What time are we supposed to get there? I didn't even look."

"About 2000 or so and then it's another two hours to the cabin. We can stop at a store in Duluth and get groceries or I can go into town tomorrow and pick some stuff up."

"Tonight should be fine, that way we won't have to run out in the morning."

"Sounds good."

It was close to midnight by the time they had stopped for groceries and gotten to the cabin. Jack pulls into the small gravel drive and turns the engine off, nudging Sam awake.

"Carter..."

"Mmm."

"We're here, you need to get up."

"Mmmkay," Sam groans and stretches out as she straightens up, her top riding up for a moment to reveal a swath of milky white skin, "Time is it?"

"2345," Jack answers after looking at his watch. He gets out of the jeep and grabs their bags out of the back seat before grabbing the groceries.

"Jack I can grab some of those," Sam says as she climbs down from the passenger seat, barely seeing him packed down with all of their belongings in the moonlight.

"I've got it, just grab the keys."

"Where are they?"

"Front pocket," Jack replies. Sam gives him a look before standing in front of him.

"Dare I ask which one?"

"Left," Jack tells her, jumping as she starts digging around in his right pocket, "Ah, ah, ah. My left."

"Jack O'Neill," Sam sighs as she switches pockets before grabbing the keys and heading towards the door. She manages to get the key into the lock and unlock the door, pushing her way in, "Ugh, it is hot in here."

"Light's on the right, go ahead and open the windows," Jack says as he carries everything inside. He drops the groceries in the kitchen and walks Sam's bag to the guest room before dropping his in his room, "I usually have someone come by and open up but I didn't get the chance this time."

"That's okay," Sam says from right behind him. Jack jumps at her proximity.

"Jesus! You scared the crap out of me."

"Sorry," Sam apologizes. She points at the guest room, "My room?"

"Yeah, bathroom's across the hall, you saw the kitchen and living room when we came in...and that's about it,” Jack shrugs.

“You mind if I take a shower real quick?”

“No, go ahead. Let me grab you some towels,” He replies before going to the hall closet and getting out two towels, handing them out to Sam, “Hot water knob is a little finicky, so don’t crank it up super high.”

“Got it,” Sam replies waiting for Jack to move out of her way. After a couple moments she clears her throat, “Are you…”

“Oh! Sorry,” Jack steps back out of her way, “All yours.”

“Thanks,” Sam smiles and steps inside, closing the door behind herself. Jack shakes his head and runs his fingers through his hair as he walks into his room. He kicks the door closed behind himself and digs through his bag, changing into his pajamas which only consisted of a pair of gym shorts considering the temperature. He opens his door to go to the kitchen for a glass of water only to run smack dab into a wet, towel clad Sam. She lets out a noise of surprise as she tips over at the unexpected run in.

“Shit!” Jack exclaims, reaching out to catch her before she can fall to the floor, leaving her awkwardly in his grip with the towel barely draped over the important parts, “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Sam straightens herself up and backs herself into the guest room before slamming the door shut. Jack groans and continues his trip to the kitchen, grabbing a beer instead before heading back towards his room. He shuts off the light in the bathroom and leaves the door open for it to air out before knocking lightly on Sam’s door.

“I’m going to head to bed, I’ll see you in the morning?”

“What time?” Sam asks as she opens the door slightly, poking her head around.

“Uh, whenever you get up. No rush.”

“Okay, night.”

“Night,” Jack replies before she closes the door again. He drops his head gently against the wood and sighs to himself, “Smooth.”

Jack retires to his room, leaving the door open a crack with an old, cast-iron iron keeping it from blowing open as he opens the window facing the pond. He shakes out his blankets and fluffs the pillows before collapsing into bed and sighing as he sinks into the old mattress. He bends his arm behind his head and looks up at the ceiling, watching the pattern of the curtains move and sway in the moonlight. 

It had been a good six weeks since Sam had told him she was pregnant. Since they had started going out. And things only seemed to be getting more awkward as time went on. He knew she wanted to take things slow, but he didn’t know how to…He just wanted to be around her, to not have to think about his actions and comments. He was hoping this weekend would help with that.

After a while Jack drifts off to sleep, sleeping fitfully through the night until he wakes up late morning with the sun already shining through the curtains. He looks at the clock on his nightstand, surprised to see that it was after nine. He takes a deep inhale, scents of coffee and food wafting through the air. Jack pushes himself out of bed and grabs a t-shirt off the top of his bag before heading down the hall as he pulls it on.

“Something smells good.”

“Want some?” Sam asks as she looks over her shoulder, taking a bite of a piece of bacon. She was dressed in a worn in Air Force t-shirt and a pair of jogging shorts standing in front of his stove making breakfast. Jack sidles up behind her and wraps his arms around her waist. His hands slip under her t-shirt and rest over her stomach as he leans forward to take a bite out of the piece of bacon she still had in her hand.

“What do you got?” He asks with a full mouth as he nuzzles her neck.

“Uhm, bacon and eggs. Could make some toast if you want it,” Sam replies, fighting the urge to relax in his hold.

“Don’t fight it, Sam,” Jack whispers as he presses a soft kiss to her neck, “Please, don’t fight it.”

“Jack, I thought we…”

“We did,” He says as he pulls away and leans against the counter next to her, “But you can’t tell me this hasn’t been weird Sam. And it’s not weird because we shouldn’t be doing this, it’s weird because we’re not doing it as well as we can.”

“I just…I didn’t want anything we did to be rash. I mean I told you I was pregnant and you asked me to marry you.”

“I know, and I won’t do that again…Well I can’t promise that. But it’ll be a more appropriate time, I swear,” Jack says with a charming grin, “But we know each other, we’re good around each other. Can’t we just be normal?”

“So, that was normal?” Sam says after a beat, a small smile playing on her lips.

“It was for me,” Jack replies softly, “What about you?”

“It was…nice,” Sam says, taking a moment to search for the right word. Jack smiles at the soft, easy smile on her face and steps closer, leaning down to press his lips to hers in a soft kiss. Sam hums and kisses him back gently before pulling away and smiling, “Just like that was nice.”

“So, what’s for breakfast?” Jack asks.

“Still eggs and bacon,” Sam replies before nodding towards the loaf of bread on the counter, “Why don’t you make some toast?”

“I can do that,” Jack nods and undoes the twist tie on the bread, loading up the toaster as he watches Sam take the rest of the bacon out of the pan and put it on a paper towel. She gets the eggs out of the fridge and looks up at him, blonde hair hanging in her eyes.

“Fried or scrambled?”

“Fried.”

“Attaboy,” Sam grins and cracks four eggs into the bacon grease. Jack gets plates down and dishes out their bacon and toast, taking the time to butter the toast before Sam puts the eggs on each plate. He carries them over to the small table he had in the kitchen and sets them down, pushing Sam to sit down as he gets forks, napkins, and glasses as well as the jug of orange juice they’d bought. He sets everything down on the table before dropping down into his own seat.

“This looks great,” Jack compliments, “I don’t know the last time someone made me breakfast.”

“Don’t tell me Daniel’s not keeping up with the cooking on your missions,” Sam teases before folding her eggs onto her toast along with the bacon, making a sandwich out of everything.

“Have you tried Daniel’s cooking ever? It literally tastes like it came from Ancient Egypt,” Jack points out, “I don’t know how someone can make MREs taste worse than they actually are.”

“He does have a knack for it,” Sam replies with a laugh after swallowing. The two eat in compatible silence for a while until Sam finishes before Jack. She takes a sip of her orange juice before resting her chin on her hand as she watches him eat, “What do you want to do today?”

“We could go for a drive,” Jack suggests as he drags his toast through the last of the runny egg yolks, “It’s nice enough out we could take the top off the Jeep and I can show you the area. We can drive around the big lake.”

“That sounds nice.”

“We could be back by lunch and then do some fishing, if you’re interested.”

“Sure,” Sam smiles and reaches out to swipe a bit of egg yolk off of the side of his mouth. 

“Thanks,” Jack smiles back before putting his fork down, “I thought you couldn’t cook?”

“I’m pretty hopeless at it, but I can throw together a decent breakfast,” Sam replies, “A few too many times of trying to apply the laws of thermodynamics and the ability to get distracted easily don’t lend well to actually cooking.”

“But you’re so good at following directions,” Jack teases as he picks their plates up and carries them over to the sink.

“Oh shut up,” Sam says as she throws a kitchen towel at him. She brings their glasses over and sets them on the counter before putting the food away, “You mind cleaning up?”

“No I’ve got it, go get ready.”

“Okay,” Sam presses a kiss to his cheek before heading towards her room. Jack washes the dishes and puts them in the rack to dry before filling up a coffee cup and going out to take the top off the Jeep. Sam comes out a little bit later dressed in one of her black sleeveless BDU t-shirts and a pair of shorts, rubbing sunscreen into her arms. Her sunglasses were perched on her face as she makes her way down towards the Jeep where Jack was getting it ready, “Need any help?”

“Nope, I got it for right now,” Jack says before he works through getting the top unsecured before tossing his ratchet on top of the tool box and looking at Sam, “Got a little muscle in you?”

“I’m sure I could still bench press you,” Sam smiles as she gets up from her spot on the porch steps.

“The only pregnant woman I know with six pack abs.”

“Know many pregnant women these days?” Sam laughs.

“Ah, no.”

“That’s okay, they’re hardly a six pack anymore,” Sam informs him before standing next to the Jeep, “What do you need me to do?”

“Just grab the other side of the cover and lift it off with me,” Jack says as he grabs the other side. The two of them lift it off and deposit it on the ground, “Alright?”

“Yeah, fine,” Sam smiles, “You wanna go get changed? I was going to put some snacks together.”

“Sounds good,” Jack smiles and grabs the tool box, resting his hand on the small of her back as they head back inside. Sam makes her way into the kitchen and goes through the food they’d purchased, putting a small cooler of snacks together as Jack gets changed. She looks up when he comes out in cargo shorts and a t-shirt, smiling at him.

“Ready?”

“If you are,” She hands him the cooler and grabs two bottles of water before following him out to the car. She climbs into the passenger seat and buckles up before pulling her sunglasses down once again, noting to him that she was ready to go. Jack turns the engine over and pulls away, continuing down the gravel road his cabin was off of before grabbing Sam’s hand over the console.


	7. Chapter 7

By the time they get halfway around the large lake that was nearby Jack notices that storm clouds were starting to roll in. Sam looks up and notices the greying of the sky as well.

“How far away from the cabin are we?”

“About as far as we can get,” Jack says as he presses his foot down on the gas a little more. The two of them manage to get back to the cabin just as it starts to sprinkle and the first rumbles of thunder make their way across the sky. The rain starts to get heavier as they try to get the top back on well enough to keep the water out of the Jeep. Once they get the pieces back on, Jack grabs the cooler and pulls Sam inside, both of them laughing as they barely beat the torrential downpour, “Sorry I should have checked the weather.”

“It’s okay,” Sam laughs as she shakes the water out of her hair. Jack swallows as he looks at her, the black top clinging to her form more than usual. He clears his throat and looks back up to catch a bemused smile on Sam’s face.

“We should probably change.”

“Probably, looks like we’re going to be stuck inside for a while,” Sam comments, brushing past Jack on her way to her room. She changes back into the pajamas she’d worn the night before and pulls her sweatshirt on as she closes the window in her room most of the way to keep the rain out. She makes her way out to the living room and turns on the lights before jumping as a strike of lightning clashes down.

“Scared of a little lightning?”

“No, just took me off guard,” Sam says as she turns around finding Jack also back in his sweats, “What do you want to do?”

“Well, tv’s out. The antenna’s crap most of the time, in the rain it’s useless. I’ve got some cards and a couple board games.”

“Board games?”

“Yeah let me check,” Jack says as he goes to the closet, “I’ve got Monopoly, Life, couple decks of cards, and…I don’t know how the hell it got in here but Trivial Pursuit.”

Sam opens her mouth to respond when Jack looks around the corner, “We’re not playing that one.”

Sam pouts, sticking her bottom lip out, before grinning evilly, “We could just make out.”

Sam laughs as she hears the boxes clatter to the ground with a well timed ‘Goddamnit’ from Jack. She grins as she drops down onto the couch and leaves him to clean up the mess he had no doubt created. A few minutes later he appears with a deck of cards he tosses on the table.

“Making out, huh?” Jack asks as he kneels on the couch next to her.

“Yes, I believe that’s what I suggested,” Sam smiles, tipping her chin up at him, “Unless you’d rather play cards."

“No, no, making out sounds good.”

“Then get over here,” Sam says, grabbing his t-shirt and pulling. Jack leans in closer to her and grabs the throw pillow behind himself, putting it behind Sam before fully leaning into her and capturing her lips. Sam hums as she kisses him back and wraps her arms around his neck. She shifts slightly and opens her legs, cradling him in between her thighs.

The two of them continue to go at it for a while before Sam’s hands slip down Jack’s sides and make their way under his t-shirt. She lifts her body against his and pulls back from his lips, tugging the shirt over his head. She drops it on the floor and runs her hands over his skin, eyeballing him. She bites her bottom lip as she runs her fingers through his sparse chest hair.

“Hey…”

“Hmm?” Sam hums as she looks up at him, resting her hands on his hips.

“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

“When have I ever done anything I didn’t want to?” Sam smiles and presses a kiss to his lips as she slips her hands up his back. Jack opens his mouth to respond once she pulls back.

“Outside of following orders?” Jack jokes.

“I can just as easily go take a nap now.”

“Oh can you?” Jack grins.

“Mmhm,” Sam hums before making a show to get up. Jack pushes her back down.

“No, stay,” He murmurs before getting up, “Let me make it more comfortable though.”

“Where are you going?”

“Don’t worry I’ll be back,” Jack assures her before stepping outside. The temperature had cooled considerably during the rain shower. He walks around the corner of the porch, glad it was all covered as he grabs two bundles of wood from the stash he kept on the side of the house. He brings it back inside and drops it in front of the fireplace that was in the living room. He gets a fire going in the fireplace before moving the coffee table out of the way.

“What are you doing?”

“Just wait,” Jack says as he disappears down the hallway. He comes back with an arm full of blankets, kicking a couple of balled up sleeping bags. He gets everything layered up and spread out on the floor before nudging Sam to get up as he grabs the cushions off the couch and tosses them on the floor, “There. Much more comfortable.”

“And the coincidentally the romance has been turned up with that fire,” Sam teases as she takes her sweatshirt off and drops it on the ground next to Jack’s shirt. She sinks down onto the blankets and is surprised to find that he had built up a pretty decent bed. She looks up at him and rests her body against the cushions and the couch as she admires his form. He was the perfect amount of muscles and soft. He was well tanned and well travelled, she could see the scars left on his body. His legs were well muscled and she found it adorable how his feet had tan lines from wearing the same sandals over and over during his summers in Minnesota.

“Pass muster?” Jack asks as he notices her lingering gaze.

“Oh you definitely pass,” Sam grins at him. Jack lowers himself down to their blanket bed and rolls closer to Sam.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” Sam smiles and presses her lips against his, this time rolling to lay on top of Jack. She giggles as his hands slip under her shirt and accidentally tickle her sides as his hands stroke over her skin. He pushes the t-shirt up and off as his hands move higher. He tosses the fabric to the side and swallows hard as he realizes she wasn't wearing a bra. His hands move up the back of her shoulders and around to the front, stroking all of the smooth skin he comes into contact with. 

Jack's fingertips move down her sternum and his hand flattens across her stomach. She was right about it no longer being a six pack. The defined muscles had softened out, she had a distinct pooch right above where her shorts were resting. You wouldn't be able to tell she was pregnant if you didn't know, but he remembered every muscle and curve from their first time. He'd mapped it all out in his mind. He sits up and forces her to lie back, closer to the fire. He watches as the light from the flames flicker over her skin to highlight all the dips and rises of her porcelain features. He captures her lips in a hungry kiss before starting to kiss his way down her body. He teases her breasts with his lips and tongue, earning a rise out of her as she moans and arches into him. He palms both of the globes in his hands, squeezing and massaging as his lips continue south.

Sam takes a deep breath and moans softly as his lips continue to pepper kisses across her abdomen, his tongue teasingly dipping into her belly button. She brings her hands up to cup his head and hold him close as he drops his forehead against her stomach. She uses the little grip she has on his hair to pull him back up to her lips, kissing him as her hands run over his back muscles. She slips her hands into his gym shorts and playfully squeezes his ass which earns her a chuckle from him as he nips at her bottom lip. She continues to move her hands south, managing to wrangle the shorts and his boxers off of him enough that he takes a moment to kick them off. Jack then takes the time to take her shorts off, pulling them down her long legs. He kisses his way back up, finding all the places that would make her whimper and sigh. He pauses at the apex, teasingly dipping his tongue into her wet folds. Sam shakes her head and pulls insistently at his hair.

"Want you."

"How bad?" Jack teases her as he bites at her hip bone.

"Bad," Sam insists, a whine to her tone. Jack smiles and climbs back up her form, grinning as he hovers over her. She gasps as she feels him nudging at her entrance, her eyes darkening to an even deeper blue. Jack's hands skim over her thighs and he pulls her closer. Sam's hips arch up and she strokes herself against his length, "Please."

"Yes, ma'am," Jack presses a kiss to her lips and groans softly as he slides into her. Sam moans and tightens her legs around his waist, pulling him in completely. She grins up at him and kisses him softly as she starts to move her hips. The two move easily together, teasing and laughing as they fall into step. Sam bites her bottom lip as she looks up at Jack, her hands wrapped around his arms, feeling the muscles strain and bulge under her fingers. She tightens the grip on his hips with her thighs before using her weight to throw him off balance and roll him onto his back. She laughs as Jack looks up at her with a stunned look, rocking her hips down against him. He knocks the look off of her face with a particularly strong thrust. 

"Oh yeah, right there," Sam moans as she braces her hands on Jack's chest with her nails digging in just slightly, "More."

"Oh you want more?" Jack asks as he holds her hips and grinds against her the way that had made her moan. Sam nods impatiently, whimpers escaping her as Jack manipulates both of their bodies. Her skin flushes and she feels the coil in her stomach getting tighter and tighter, her breathing getting faster. He uses his own skills to push her back onto her back, grinning at her as he pulls her leg up over his shoulder. Sam gasps as he moves hard against her, continuing to drive her to the edge. He slips a hand between them and massages his fingers over her clit.

Sam's back arches and she cries out Jack's name as she orgasms hard, her eyes tightly closed. She reaches behind her and grabs onto the couch cushion underneath her head, her knuckles white as she rides through the aftershocks. Jack slows down and stops, waiting for Sam to come down from her high. His own muscles clench in wait as she pulses around him and her muscles pull him in tight. She drops against the cushion with a groan while she pants softly. 

"Oh my god," She whimpers as her hips involuntarily arch up against Jack, her eyes opening and focusing on him. Small beads of sweat were running down his chest from both his exertion and the heat emanating from the fireplace. His eyes were almost black as he looked down at her. She hums as her muscles squeeze him again and find him still hard inside of her. She tips her hips to give him to go ahead, moaning softly as he starts to move again, igniting already fried nerve endings. Jack moves quick and fast, his thrusts uncoordinated as he searches for his release. Sam moans as she moves with him until she feels his grip tighten on her thigh. She tightens her grip on him with her other leg and pulls him entirely into her, milking him for all he's worth as he groans her name as he lets go. 

Sam bites her lip and groans as she finds herself gently fall over the edge again before Jack releases her leg from his grip. She wraps the limb around his waist and pulls him close to her as he comes down from his high. Her arms wrap around his torso and she cradles him close for a moment, enjoying his weight on top of her before he rolls onto his back and brings her with him. She giggles softly as she lays astride his form, pressing kisses to his jaw.

"Mmmm, this is nice," She comments as the rain pelts against the roof and thunder rumbles in the background.

"This is very nice," Jack agrees with a sleepy tone, his hand stroking up and down her back. Sam props herself up with her elbows resting on Jack's shoulders as she looks down at him, messy blonde hair hanging in her face. She pecks his lips with a soft kiss and smiles at him.

"I love you."

"I love you too, my beautiful girl,” He smiles back before pulling her down and wrapping his arm around her back as he closes his eyes to fall asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Sam sighs as she chomps down on a potato chip as she and Jack lie in front of the fire. After the initial storm had passed they'd gotten another day of sun before another storm rolled in. Their blanket bed had been resurrected and they were sitting snuggled up in front of the flames enjoying a bag of chips Jack had gotten up to get not long before while listening to a rotation of CDs in the background.

"I still haven't told my dad," Sam says after she swallows, her hand already reaching back into the bag. Jack looks over at her with an arched eyebrow.

"Told him what?"

"Any of this," Sam waves her hand around, "I haven't even told Mark, and I can pick up the phone and call him."

"I haven't told my family," Jack shrugs and stuffs his hand in the bag after she pulls a handful of chips out, "But then again I haven't talked to them in eight years so..."

"Was that supposed to make me feel better?"

"Yeah, but we fell off the track a little bit there," Jack laughs before stuffing a few chips into his mouth. Sam slaps him on the abs with a small laugh, resting her head against his shoulder.

"He might still try to shoot you, even if he does like you."

"I'll be sure to not be present when this announcement happens."

"Oh that will _definitely_ get him to come after you," Sam assures him.

"What about your brother? I thought you didn't get along."

"We don't really...Dad wants me to make more of an effort with him since he's off world most of the time. The last couple visits have gone okay," Sam shrugs and plays with a frayed edge on the blanket, "We're just not buddy buddy, you know?"

"I know a little something about that," Jack replies with a wry tone, "I have six non-buddy buddies, you know?"

"You have six siblings?"

"The O'Neill's are a traditional Irish Catholic family I'll have you know...All of them younger than me," Jack replies with a grin, "Most of them _way_."

"How old were your parents when they had you?"

"Nineteen," Jack laughs, "Born nine months to the day after the wedding."

"Ahhhh," Sam grins, "Nine months you say."

"Yep."

"Funny how that happens," She laughs, "What about your siblings?"

"Jimmy and Katie weren't born until I was 9, and they were pretty rapid succession after that. Two sets of twins actually," Jack comments. 

"Holy Hannah, _Two_ sets of twins?"

"Mmhm."

"God, I'd hate to be your mother," Sam shakes her head with a look of fear in her eyes.

"What you don't want seven little O'Neill's running around trying to make you tear your hair out?"

"I don't know how I'm going to handle one little O'Neill if you're anything to go by," Sam grins sweetly at him and reaches up to ruffle his hair. Jack frowns at her and she laughs before pressing a kiss to his lips, "What are their names?"

"Who?"

"Your brothers and sisters," Sam asks as she picks his hand up in hers to fiddle with, "They must have names."

"Right," Jack screws his face up to make it look like he was trying to remember and exclaims as Sam pinches the tender skin of his wrist between two of her nails, "Ow! Alright, alright. Jimmy and Katie are twins, then there was Maggie, and then Annie, and then Cal and Connor."

"And you don't talk to any of them?" Sam asks with an arched eyebrow.

"I don't talk to my parents. I talk to Katie and Maggie some. The rest...it's mostly just cards and Christmas phone calls," Jack shrugs and looks down, "Most of them are still afraid of upsetting Mom and Dad. Or agree with them."

"About what?"

"There was a falling out after Charlie died. About what happened, about Sara and I getting a divorce, about a lot of things," Jack explains, "It's not like we had the greatest relationship before it happened but after..."

"That's awful," Sam sympathizes, kissing his shoulder where she was resting her head. He shrugs once more and reaches a hand back into the chip bag, "Families suck."

"Amen to that," Jack agrees before tossing a chip into his mouth, "We won't suck though will we?"

"I hope not," She responds with a light shrug of her own, "I'm sure we'll come with our own problems and everything, as long as we love them what else can we do?"

"Not too much," He sighs as he drops his hand to rest on her thigh, squeezing softly. She covers his hand and squeezes, her thumb running over his knuckles. Her body slips down to more of a laying position and she rests her head on his stomach before closing her eyes, "Tired?"

"Mmhm," Sam nods and sighs happily as she feels his fingers running through her hair. She'd decided to grow it out after moving into her civilian position, it was just almost brushing her shoulders now. Just enough for her to pull into a ponytail if she needed to. She'd done the bun all the way through the academy before deciding to cut it off after her graduation. Having long hair wasn't worth it to her if it had to spend most of it's time rolled into an impossibly tight bun at the nape of her neck.

Soon she finds herself dozing off, the drizzle of the rain against the roof and the rise and fall of Jack's chest making it easy for her. She manages to get a couple hour nap in before waking up when she hears birds tweeting outside and a strip of sunlight strikes her in the eye.

“Rain’s passed,” Sam comments as she lifts her head, rubbing her eyes. When she doesn’t get a response she looks up and notices Jack was asleep now as well. She sits up more and stretches out before pushing herself up off the ground and heading towards the back door. She takes a quick peak outside to confirm that the rain had stopped, blue skies shining back at her. She closes the screen door and leaves the back door open to let some air in. 

Checking the clock Sam starts to get things out for dinner before going to light the grill. She gives it a few minutes to preheat as she seasons the steaks they’d picked up at the store. As the steaks rest she takes some time to cut up some potatoes, making foil packets with them. She tosses the packets onto the grill to start cooking before dragging out a few ears of corn. She pulls back the husk and tears out the silk before wrapping them back up to soak in the sink. Giving her hands a quick dunk in the water Sam dries them off before pulling out vegetables to cut up for a salad. She arches her eyebrows as she chops, surprised Jack was still asleep. She finishes her prep of the vegetables before deciding to finally take the steaks and corn out. She loads up everything onto a tray before deciding to take pity on the man and wake him up.

“Jack, honey,” Sam murmurs, the sentiment easily slips from her lips as she sits on the couch and runs her fingers gently through his hair.

“Mmhph,” Jack hums as he leans into her touch. She smiles and scrubs her nails gently over his scalp.

“I’m getting dinner ready, time to get up.”

“What’s for dinner?” Jack mumbles as he tries to cajole himself into waking up.

“Steak and some potatoes, few ears of corn, and a salad,” Sam describes, “And we even have some of that pie left that Ed and Barbara brought over yesterday.”

“Mmm, pie.”

“I’m going to go put the steaks on, so you’ve got about twenty before dinner’s ready,” Sam presses a kiss to his forehead before getting up and going to finish what she was working on. By the time dinner was on the small kitchen table Jack had gotten up from the blanket bed and gone to wash up before returning to the kitchen a little more alert. He thanks Sam and kisses her softly before sitting down to eat.

“This looks delicious.”

“Not too bad hmm?” Sam smiles.

“So only cooking on vacation is allowed, nothing to distract you,” Jack winks before picking up his utensils. Sam pokes at his hand with her fork in admonishment of his teasing, “Ow!”

“That’ll teach you.”

“Very few things will,” Jack notes with a grin. Sam rolls her eyes before digging into her dinner.

The rest of the weekend is spent playing in the sun and surf for the two of them. They’re finally able to get in their fill of fishing, breaking their time up with nature walks around the area and daytime sex. By late Sunday afternoon the cabin had been locked up for another few months on its own, the Jeep parked at the airport, and the two of them were on their flight back to Colorado Springs. Sam settles into the middle seat, letting Jack have the window this time. She smiles at him as he reaches over the arm rest to take her hand.

“Did you have a good time?”

“I did, I had a very good time,” Sam replies as she presses a kiss to the back of his hand, “I wish I’d gone a long time ago.”

“Well even if you’d gone a long time ago we probably wouldn’t have done the stuff we did this weekend.”

“We definitely wouldn’t have,” Sam laughs. She leans over and kisses Jack thoroughly before pulling back and stroking his cheek, “I love you, and I can’t wait to come back with you. I can’t wait for family vacations. It’ll be great to make it our own little hideaway.”

“I could just retire and we could move up there, sleepy little lake town of Bigfork. They have a hospital.”

“I am not giving birth in Bigfork, Minnesota,” Sam shoots him down with a laugh, “I’m doing it in the comfort of the SGC with Janet attending and not surprising any unsuspecting doctor with our unique little angel’s proteins and genetics.”

“Mmm that is a good plan,” Jack nods before quirking his eyebrow as he processes what she’s told him, “Janet’s going to do it?”

“She’s consulting with an obstetrician from the Academy,” Sam assures him.

“I’d hope so, I don’t think the SGC has a labor and delivery wing. Though maybe I’ve missed it.”

“No, they don’t,” Sam grins. Jack leans over and kisses her again before settling back in his seat. He couldn’t get enough of kissing her. She leans her head against his shoulder and pulls out her book, flipping it open to where her bookmark was before starting to read. By the time they get home it’s dark outside and they part at the airport with another kiss. Sam drags herself home and dumps all of her clothes into her hamper before pulling out a nightgown to sleep in. She undresses and pulls the gown over her head before heading to the bathroom. She washes her face and brushes her teeth before taking her contacts out and putting them in their container. Rubbing her eyes, Sam heads back into the bedroom and turns the light off before collapsing into bed and snuggling into her pillow.

In the morning she showers and gets ready for work, walking into the mountain just a little before 8. She makes her way down to her lab, greeting people along the way. Once inside she grabs the stack of paperwork that had formed during her long weekend away and moves it to her desk before hanging up her purse and shrugging on her lab coat. After getting settled she opens up the first report and halfway through gets distracted as the klaxons going off and Walter’s voice echoes down the PA system.

“Unscheduled off world activation!” She listens to a few pairs of feet clamor past before turning back to the papers in front of her. In the control room Jack jogs up the stairs to meet General Hammond coming down from his office.

“Who is it?” Jack asks first as he takes a position behind Walter.

“IDC incoming…it’s the Tok’ra ID,” He relays, looking up at his superiors.

“Open the iris,” Hammond commands as Jack rolls his eyes.

“What now?” He practically whines before trudging down to the gate room to greet whoever was coming in from the Tok’ra. A smile comes over his face when he sees Jacob walk through the gate, hands folded into his robes, “Jacob!"

“Jack, how are you?” Jacob asks as the two embrace for a moment before stepping back.

“Not too bad, you?”

“Can’t complain,” Jacob smiles.

“Anything in particular that brings you by?”

“Unfortunately yes, you might want to get the team and the General together,” Jacob suggests as he follows Jack towards the briefing room.

“Hammond should be waiting, I’ll get the other three up here,” Jack informs him with a pat on the back before going to page the rest of the group. Daniel, Teal’c, and their next science trainee make their way into the room a few minutes later and Jacob arches his eyebrow at Jack and Hammond.

“Where’s Sam?” He asks, pointedly.

“She’s come down with something, Doc want’s her to stick to the lab for a few missions,” Jack easily explains, giving enough information packaged in a white lie to Jacob to satisfy him and get him to focus back on their mission, assuming there was going to be one, “I’ll take you down to her lab after this. But this is Doctor Maia Fellowes, she’s going to be jumping on the team for a little bit here.”

“Alright,” Jacob nods before taking a seat at the table and beginning to explain his presence at the SGC. After they finish Hammond stands and looks at Jack.

“Get your gear together, SG-1 leaves in two hours,” He orders. Jack nods before he leaves the room. He looks at the group and tells them to go start packing their gear up before turning to Jacob and offering to show him down to Sam’s lab. The two make their way down from the briefing room and head towards Sam’s lab.


	9. Chapter 9

“She’s not sick, is she?” Jacob asks as they walk.

“Not exactly,” Jack admits as they round the corner to the hall Sam’s lab was in, making his way into the room with a knock on the door jam. Sam was leaning over an item sat up on the bench in front of her, slowly working through taking it apart. She pulls out a crystal before looking up at the intrusion, “Ooh, glasses today.”

“Yeah, my eyes have been a bit exhausted lately,” Sam admits with an easy smile in his direction before setting the crystal down. Her eyes widen as her dad walks into the room behind Jack, “Dad!”

“Hi, honey,” Jacob smiles. Sam slips down from her stool and makes her way around the desk to hug her father, “Jack said you were off of missions for a bit?”

“Ah, yeah,” Sam nods as she squeezes him a little tighter before stepping back, “For quite a while actually...”

“Whats going on here?” Jacob draws out as he looks between the two of them, noticing that Sam was fidgeting with her hands anxiously. Her eyes flick up to Jack and she takes a deep breath before she looks at her father and opens her mouth to speak.

“I…uh…we…we are expecting," Her shoulder quirks upward slightly as her hands gesture out towards him.

“Expecting what?” Jacob replies slowly.

“A baby,” Sam clarifies with a small smile as her fingers knit together and she drops her hands down to rest in front of her, “I’m pregnant.”

“You…you’re pregnant?” Jacob replies with raised eyebrows.

“Yeah,” Sam nods, her smile becoming a little unsure, “I…um…retired after I found out. And I’ve taken the position as Chief Scientist for the base, so I get to spend more time with the tech that gets brought back from missions, but still stay here.”

“You’re pregnant, and you retired…” Jacob repeats as he looks between the two of them before focusing on Jack with a heated glare, “Because of _him_?”

“Dad,” Sam draws out and steps between the two of them, “This...even if it hadn't've been Jack, I would have done the same thing. I made this decision before this happened.”

“I…You're on track to get stars…” Jacob points out, “You’ve walked on planets that people are never going to see for a dozen lifetimes, at least. And you’re just, just giving it up?”

“I'm not giving up anything, I'm pivoting,” Sam stands up taller, a furrow between her brow as she looks at her father. She was unimpressed with his reaction so far.

“Jacob, I…” Jack interrupts. Sam holds her hand up to stop him, giving him a quiet look. Jack holds his hands up and steps back before gesturing that she could continue.

“I don’t need to explain my rationales to anyone, including you,” Sam defends, “I’m still happy, I’m still doing what I want to do, I’m having a baby for crying out loud…I am the happiest I’ve been in a long, long time. Doesn’t that matter?”

“Of course it matters!” Jacob exclaims, “That’s all I want for you. I just…”

“What?” Sam taunts. Jacob sighs and lets out a long breath. He shakes head as he looks down at the floor before looking up at his daughter with a small smirk.

“For crying out loud? You two have been spending too much time around each other,” Jacob jokes before wrapping his arms around his daughter again. He pats her back and presses a kiss to her head, “I am very, very happy for you. Both of you.”

“Thank you,” Sam murmurs before pulling away. 

“I hope you’re making an honest woman out of her, Jack.”

“I’m trying to,” Jack replies with a winning grin as Sam rolls her eyes.

“It’s not the 1960s, I don’t need to be made an honest woman. I am plenty of an honest woman already,” Sam reminds both of them before inquiring why her father was at the base. He gives her a brief rundown of the mission they were going to be heading out on before she looks up at Jack, “You’re going?”

“Yeah, we leave in a little under two hours,” Jack nods, “I don’t know how long we’re going to be.”

“That’s fine, you know where to find me,” She tells him with a small smile. Her eyes widen in surprise as he presses a quick kiss to her forehead. Jack winks at her before leading Jacob out of the room. Sam sighs softly and reaches up to scratch her forehead, brushing her bangs out of the way before she returns to her work.

It’s a few days before SG-1 is back on Earth, their IDC code coming through in the dead of the night. Jack stumbles through the gate after everyone makes their way through, his left arm wrapped up in a rough sling and his P90 dangling from his other hand. The gun drops from his fingers and he sinks down to his knees before face planting against the ramp with a satisfied groan and a mumble, “So cold.”

“Medical team to the gate room!” A voice crackles over the PA system. Jack lays on the ground until he’s grabbed and turned over, coming face to face with Janet.

“Hey Doc.”

“Colonel,” Janet greets before starting to look him over, “What happened to your arm?”

“Staff blast, elbow,” Jack replies, groaning as she prods at it.

“Alright, let’s get him up and onto a gurney and down to the infirmary,” Janet orders stepping back a bit before starting to give them a hand getting him transferred, “I want an IV in him right now.”

“Yes, ma’am,” One of the nurses responds before grabbing Jack’s uninjured arm and moving to get his IV started. He lets out another groan as he’s moved over to the gurney and wheeled out of the gate room. Once they get to the infirmary he’s transferred to an actual bed and the nurses start to get his flack vest and jacket off. Janet grabs some supplies before coming over and starting to examine his elbow. She checks the wound before starting to move it, stopping as Jack cries out in pain.

“Alright, alright. I’m going to get this cleaned up and then we’re going to send you for some x-rays. You’re going to be out of commission for a bit.”

“Great,” Jack growls as she starts to clean the wound. One of the nurses uses a pair of scissors to cut Jack’s shirt off.

“No, check that, you’re going for a CT,” Janet says as she notices all of the bruises on his chest. Putting that together with the few cuts on his face she gathered he’d gone for a pretty serious beat down while he was away. She finishes cleaning up the staff wound and bandages it before letting the nurses finish getting him undressed and into a gown, “Take him over to imaging, get him a CT scan.”

“Hey, Doc?”

“What can I do for you, Colonel?” Janet asks as she stands over Jack’s bed.

“Don’t call Sam,” He asks.

“Of course not,” Janet smiles at him, “Doctor patient confidentiality right?”

“Thanks,” Jack mumbles, starting to drift off thanks to the pain medicine she’d given him. Janet pats him on the shoulder before the nurses wheel him off. Once he gets back she has them clean him up and give him another dose of meds as she takes a look at his scans. She couldn’t see any internal bleeding on the films but could see some a couple slight tears and some minor fractures in his elbow. Making her way down from her office she grabs some supplies before sidling up to Jack’s bed again and unfolding his arm from where it was wrapped across his chest. She examines the area again before wrapping it up in an ACE bandage and laying a sling on the edge of his bed. It was going to be hell to get him to wear it.

In the morning, Sam finds herself rushing towards the infirmary. When she’d gotten through the checkpoint and run into a bleary eyed Daniel, the archaeologist had been hounded for Jack’s whereabouts. She knew something had to be wrong if he hadn’t come by, or at least called, when they had gotten back from their mission. She hadn’t heard from her father either. 

Sam rounds the corner to the infirmary and bumps right into Janet.

“Oh!” Both of them exclaim before taking a step back. 

“Sorry,” Janet apologizes while Sam shakes her head.

“I wasn’t looking where I was going,” Sam admits, “Jack?”

“Bed four,” Janet indicates, “I’ve got to meet with the General, but then I’ll be back.”

“He’s okay right?”

“He’ll bounce right back,” Janet assures her with a hand on her arm and a small squeeze before heading to her meeting. Sam walks in and over to Jack’s bed, finding him still asleep. She takes in the wrap on his elbow and the cuts on his face before she takes a seat next to the bed. She wraps his hand in hers and she presses a soft kiss to the back of it, her eyes trained on his face. She smiles as a small smile comes over his lips before his eyes slowly blink open and he looks over at her.

“Doc gone?”

“She just went to a meeting.”

“Good,” Jack groans as he pushes himself up and over before patting the open space on the bed next to him.

“No, you need to rest and relax,” Sam says, shaking her head.

“I am resting and relaxing, especially if you get up here.”

“You know it’s stuff like this is why Janet can’t stand you,” Sam replies as she stands up and sits on the edge of the bed, ignoring his imploring look, “This is as close as I get.”

“There are plenty of reasons she can’t stand me,” Jack retorts with a furrowed brow before reaching out for Sam’s hand, trying to tug her closer. She shakes her head before looking around to make sure no one was watching before she leans over and kisses his forehead.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” She murmurs softly before pulling back, rolling her eyes as she catches his eyes looking down her shirt.

“What? I’m injured not dead,” Jack jokes.

“What happened?” Sam inquires after giving him a pointed look for his joke.

“Same old, same old. Goa’uld, Jaffa catch us off guard, staff blasts, words are exchanged…”

“With your lovely tone of sarcasm I’m assuming,” She interrupts.

“…and I end up taking a beating,” Jack continues as if she hadn’t interrupted.

“What did Janet say about recovery time?”

“Said I’d most likely get out of here later today,” Jack explains, “Wants me to stay at home for the weekend but I’m basically out of commission until the elbow heals. Only a few weeks though.”

“I thought you would have been more upset,” Sam observes with a tilt of her head. Jack shrugs and then winces as he jostles his elbow, “Well unfortunately you’re going to be down a nurse for a few days.”

“Got a hot date?” Jack jokes.

“Hardly,” Sam rolls her eyes, “I leave for Area 51 this afternoon until the weekend. Then I was going to take a day and go see Mark…speaking of did my dad come back with you?”

“Yeah should be around here somewhere.”

“I’ll have to see if I can find him.”

“Find who?” Jacob asks as he walks into the room. Sam smiles and stands up, pulling her father into a hug.

“How did everything go?” She asks as she pulls back.

“Pretty well considering,” Jacob gestures towards Jack, “What did you need me for?”

“Oh, I was telling Jack that I had to go to Area 51 and I was going to take a day to go see Mark. He called right after you left and told me that Allison had the baby. I figured since you were around I would see if you wanted to go with me and see them for a day.”

“Just for a day?”

“I mean the baby is going to be less than a week old. I don’t want to be overwhelming. I just thought it would be good for us to stop by, spend the night, see the baby…maybe catch up on some _things_.”

“She also doesn’t like using vacation days anymore,” Jack pipes up from the bed with a teasing tone before yelping as Sam slaps him on the stomach, right on top of one of his bruises.

“I am trying to conserve my vacation time, but I just _really_ don’t want them to feel like they need to entertain us. You’re welcome to stay longer, I just only wanted to go for a long day.”

“Well regardless we can go,” Jacob appeases, “One of the others took the information back to the Tok'ra, so I have a few days.”

“Good,” Sam broadly smiles at her father.

The rest of the week passes without fanfare and on Saturday Sam finds herself at the San Diego airport. She looks at her watch before looking up at the arrivals board one more time. She had gotten in about an hour before and was waiting for her father’s flight to get in so they could go to Mark’s. She gets up and waves as she sees her dad break through the crowd of people, dressed in one of the few civilian outfits that he had that was kept on base for him. Jacob nods with a smile as he makes his way over to his daughter, a small suitcase in his hands. He had decided to stay a little bit longer with Mark and Allison and offer a helping hand where he could.

“How was your flight?” Sam asks when he gets close enough, both of them headed for the exit doors.

“Fine, you know how Selmak gets though,” He replies, referring to his symbiote who detested riding in planes.

“Beaming, gate travel, and space ships are fine, but planes bother her?” Sam grins. Jacob shrugs before hailing a cab for them. She gives the driver her brothers address before sliding across the back seat to make space for Jacob. The ride from the airport to her brother’s lasts them about 30 minutes before the driver pulls up in front of the small California home.

Sam pays the driver before climbing out of the backseat and grabbing her bag from the trunk. She pulls Jacob’s out and hands it to him before slamming the hood closed and making her way up the walk. Once they reach the door she knocks softly against the wood, trying to be loud enough to be heard but not too loud that she might wake her new nephew or his most likely exhausted mother if they were resting. She jumps as the door opens almost immediately and her brother greets them with a tired smile.

“Hey guys,” Mark greets, giving his sister a quick hug before letting them both in and clapping his father on the back, “I was surprised when Sammie said you were coming with.”

“I just happened to be in the area,” Jacob says, “And I couldn’t resist coming to see my new grandson.”

“Well it’s good to see you,” Mark smiles before walking them through to the living room, “Allie was just changing the baby and then she’ll be back down.”

“Where are Bailey and Will at?” Sam asks, referring to her niece and nephew as she sets her bag down next to the couch.

“School. They got a couple days off after Colin was born but they need to stay in their routine and we need them out of our hair a bit during the day,” Mark laughs softly.

“Are they as excited now that he’s here?” Sam asks as she runs her fingers through her hair before sinking into one of the arm chairs next to the couch. She’d dressed in a loose, flowing, patterned blue top to hide her secret a little bit longer until she could talk to her brother alone.

“Bailey has her moments,” Mark admits, before looking up as his wife comes downstairs. Allison was the complete opposite of the Carter siblings in features. She had long almost raven colored hair that hit her mid back and olive toned skin that was offset with a pair of piercing green eyes. Bailey and Will had ended up with their father’s dusty dark blonde hair but the rest of their features had been defined by her mother. Sam could tell from across the room that it was most likely a similar story for her nephew. The little peep of hair she could see was the same dark shade as his mom, and from the looks of it, about just as thick.

“Hey honey,” Mark greets before taking the little boy from her. She kisses his cheek and drops down into the arm chair opposite Sam before grinning up at her father in law.

“Jacob, take a seat, stay a little while,” Allison teases as the man continues to stand behind the couch with his hands in his pockets. Jacob snaps out of the reverie he’d been in before smiling at his daughter in law and rounding the couch to take the seat closest to Sam.

“Everything okay?” Sam asks quietly.

“Fine,” Jacob assures her with a quick smile. She nods slightly and turns her attention over to Allison.

“How are you feeling, Al?” She inquires with a soft smile.

“Surprisingly better than last time,” Allison admits as she looks up at Colin and Mark for a moment before turning her attention back to the blonde, “I think it’s a little bit easier after the first time, you have a better idea of what’s going on and can anticipate things a little better. Not to say I’m not exhausted. He’s up every two hours on the dot to eat, so sleeping is a little difficult. But Mark’s been getting up and giving him a bottle sometimes, so that helps. What about you two? It’s been a while.”

“Oh you know, same old same old,” Sam shrugs with a small smile.

“Your hair’s longer. Have you been growing it out?”

“Ah yeah, thought a change would be good. It’s been short for so long.”

“I like it, it suits you.”

“Thanks,” Sam colors slightly and tucks a few strands behind her ear.

“Mark stop hogging the baby, I’m sure your sister and dad would like to see him,” Allison points out with a grin and a wink at her husband. Mark rolls his eyes before crossing the living room to plop Colin into his aunt’s arms. Sam jumps a bit as she’s immediately handed the baby, shifting her arms to support his small frame. She freezes for a moment as the baby starts to fuss a bit before her brain clears and she shushes him quietly and pats his small back.

“Shhhh it’s okay, I bet you’re pretty tired of meeting new people,” Sam murmurs quietly, the lower timbre of her voice catching the boy’s attention and he looks up at her with wide deep blue eyes, “I would be too.”

Sam sits the baby higher up in her arm so she could show him off to her dad, “Pretty cute, huh?”

“Adorable,” Jacob agrees with a grin before turning his attention back to Mark and Allison. Sam sits back a little more in the chair and cuddles the baby close, using her time to study his tiny features. It had been a while since she had been around a baby so small. Because of her job commitments at the time and some tension between her and Mark, Sam hadn’t even officially met Bailey until her first birthday, though her sister in law had kept her updated, sending pictures of the girl every couple of months. 

As Colin opens his mouth in a wide yawn she feels a tug in her heart. Sam had never really considered herself too maternal of a person. She liked kids, she wanted to have them, but a lot of the time she was at a loss of what to do with and around them. Generally, when visiting her brother she would ambitiously offer to watch Bailey and Will for an evening so the two of them could go on a date without having to worry about the kids. She was always confident when the offer was made, but after Mark and Allison left she’d generally have a staring match with her niece while trying to decide what to do. Meeting Cassie felt like the first time she’d managed to do anything right around a kid.

With this little guy Sam was faced with the reality that she wasn’t _just_ pregnant, at the end of the tunnel there was going to be a baby to take care of and love waiting for her. And as much as the concept thrilled her, she was also absolutely terrified. She shifts her hold on Colin, trying to not let her body tense up as her mind begins to go a mile a minute. Her concentration is broken a while later as the baby starts to root around for his next meal.

“You’re not going to find too much there, buddy,” Sam tells him as Allison moves to get up out of her chair, “I can give him a bottle, if you don’t mind I mean.”

“No problem,” Allison tells her before gesturing to Mark to help his sister with getting a bottle set up for Colin. Once the bottle is heated through and deemed edible for the baby Sam pops it into his mouth and wiggles it until he latches on and starts to eat hungrily. She steps out onto the porch and sinks down into one of the lounge chairs, letting the warm sun wash over her face as Colin eats. 

By the time the bottle is empty the baby is fast asleep and Sam finds herself almost ready for a nap herself. Walking back inside she asks where she should lay Colin down before heading upstairs to his nursery. The room was decked out in blues with whales everywhere, including the sheets in the crib. She lays him down onto the soft fabric and makes sure the baby monitor is turned on before heading back downstairs, wiping sweaty palms on her jeans. 

Walking into the living room, Sam grabs her purse and bag from the side of the couch before letting everyone know she was going to lie down for a little bit before heading back upstairs. She finds the guest room easily and sets her bag down on the trunk at the end of it before scrubbing her hands over her face. She digs in her purse for a moment before pulling out her cell phone and turning it back on. Once it powers up it dings to alert her to some messages. She finds a text message from Jack as well as a voicemail. She listens to the voicemail before hitting the speed dial number she had him set at as she climbs into bed, lying down on top of the covers. The phone rings a few times before Jack’s voice comes down the line and brings a small smile to her face.

“Hello?”

“Hey, I just got your messages,” Sam responds softly.

“Hey! You guys get in okay?” Jack asks as she can hear his pen tapping against his desk through the receiver. She had no doubt that he was bored out of his skull.

“Yeah, fine, no problems,” She assures him, “Made it to Mark’s, spent a little time with them and the baby.”

“You alright? You seem quiet,” He questions, the pen in the background stopping.

“I’m fine,” She responds, “Just laying down for a little bit and thought I’d call you back.”

“Carter…” Jack warns.

“It’s nothing,” Sam shakes her head as her hand smoothes over her stomach.

“You can tell me,” He says in a softer voice, no doubt leaning back in his chair. She gnaws on her bottom lip for a moment as she stares at the ceiling before responding.

“What if I can’t do this?”

“Do what? Tell your brother?”

“No, what if I don’t know how to be a mom?” She whispers, her voice a little thick.

“Sam,” Jack chides, “No one knows how to be a parent until they are a parent. You think I had any idea what I was doing? Half of it is common sense half of it is intuition. You’ll be fine.”

“But what if I can’t?”

“You can. You can literally build something out of nothing, I think you can take care of a baby.”

“What if I don’t love it?”

“Impossible. You have one of the most caring hearts I know,” Jack assures her, “It’s going to take some time, Sam. Thoughts and feelings are going to change as we go along, but trust me, it’s going to be okay.”

“Promise?”

“Promise,” Jack smiles, “You should get some rest.”

“Miss you,” She murmurs, a slightly pathetic tone to her voice. She hears Jack sigh on the other side and buries her face into the pillow. She should have taken him up on his offer to meet them in San Diego as well, but had protested, not wanting to put him through the flight in his injured state.

“Miss you too,” Jack whispers.

“Love you,” Sam replies.

“Love you too,” He closes their conversation before hanging up. Sam closes the phone and tosses it onto the bed next to her before rolling onto her side and folding her arm under her head, closing her eyes.

Sam ends up sleeping for a couple hours before she jolts awake at a tap on the door. She scrubs her hands over her eyes and runs her fingers through her hair as she sits up, clearing her throat softly.

“Yeah?”

“Dinner’s going to be ready soon,” Allison’s voice filters through the door.

“I’ll be right down,” Sam tells her before getting up out of bed. She shakes her hair out again before looking in the mirror and running her fingers under her eyes to catch any misplaced mascara. Straightening up, Sam makes her way downstairs towards the smell of food. Allison and her father were in the kitchen and following the smell of charred meat she finds her brother out on the deck in front of the grill with a beer in his hand. Her feet take her outside and she pulls the screen door closed behind herself, “Hey.”

“Hey there sleepy head,” Mark responds as he turns around and grins at his sister, “Feel better?”

“Yeah,” Sam nods, “Sorry, I’ve been at Nellis the last few days and I didn’t get much sleep while I was there.”

“Partying it up in Vegas?” Mark teases.

“Hardly,” Sam laughs, stepping closer to the grill and leaning against the railing as she watches her brother flip the steaks he was cooking. She takes a deep breath and lets it out before opening her mouth and closing it again.

“What?” Mark questions with an arched eyebrow.

“I…” Sam stumbles before scratching her forehead and taking another steadying breath, “I’m pregnant.”

“I’m sorry you’re what?”

“I’m pregnant,” Sam repeats once more with more confidence.

“I thought you broke it off with Pete,” Mark replies, giving her a curious look as he takes the steaks off of the grill and puts them onto a platter.

“Uh, Pete? I haven’t seen Pete for months,” Sam replies. Which was true. She’d gone out on a few dates with the cop her brother had tried to set her up with, but wasn’t necessarily feeling the relationship. She hadn’t gotten a chance to break it off before they had gotten captured and came home to about a dozen voicemails from the man. After her weekend with Jack she erased all of them and grabbed the piece of paper with his number on it from her fridge before calling and explaining that she hadn’t been ghosting him but had to unexpectedly go out of communication for a work trip. She apologized that it had taken her so long to get back but let him down by telling him that it wasn’t working for her anyway and that it would be better if they parted ways.

“Then what you have a new boyfriend?” Mark asks, “It’s not been that long since you went incommunicado for whatever reason.”

“About 18 weeks, give or take,” Sam mumbles before straightening up, “Anyway, no the father isn’t Pete. And yes, I am seeing someone.”

“The father?”

“Yes, the father, do you think I sleep my way around Colorado Springs?” Sam snaps at her brother’s insinuation.

“No!” Mark protests, “It’s just - You break up with Pete who for all intents and purposes is a nice guy, and then all of a sudden you have a new boyfriend and you’re pregnant. Which by the way screams an accident.”

“ _Don’t_ ,” Sam growls, surprised at the ferocity that had immediately built up in her at the word ‘accident’.

“Don’t what,” Mark bites back. Every time. They had to get into an argument every, single time.

“Don’t you dare ever call my child an accident,” Sam seethes.

“Well that’s how it’s looking from my angle,” Mark taunts back, “Come on, Sam, what - did you sleep with him on the first date? End up in a little bit of trouble? Decided to keep him around? God, I thought you were smarter than that.”

- _Crack!_ \- The two siblings lapse into silence after Sam’s hand flips out and strikes her brother on the cheek with a resounding smack. Her lips curl as she steps in closer to him and uses the extra couple of inches she had on him to raise to her full height and tower over him.

“If you’re lucky, Jack won’t find out what an asshole you are, Mark Carter.”

“Jack? Your CO Jack?!” Mark exclaims, not intimidated by his sister's tactics.

“He’s not my CO anymore, but your future niece or nephew’s father. So I’d watch the mouth. I don’t need your pity, Mark, because there’s nothing to pity. I’m happy, I’m in love. And if that isn’t to your ‘standards’ then you can go fuck yourself. Surprisingly enough, I’m not living my life for you.”

Sam gives her brother one more narrow eyed look as her fist clenches before going back inside and offering her help in the kitchen.

“Everything okay?” Jacob asks warily as he looks at his daughter, having heard some of the raised voices from outside, only muffled by the window.

“Peachy,” Sam offers him a wide fake smile.

“Why wouldn’t everything be okay?” Allison asks, looking between the two of them as she tosses ingredients in a salad bowl.

“I was just telling Mark that he’s going to be an uncle in a few months,” Sam informs Allison with a more genuine smile.

“You’re pregnant?” Allison’s eyes widen as a smile spreads across her lips.

“Yeah, just about four months,” Sam replies with a nod. 

“That’s great, congratulations!” Allison says with a bright happy tone, “Who is the lucky guy?"

“Um Jack. O’Neill.”

“Is that one of the guys you work with?” She asks with a curious look, “The name sounds familiar.”

“Yes, he’d been my CO since I moved to Colorado. There’s been some shuffling going around at the base and I took a, um, different position. So, we’re not working together directly anymore.”

“That must be nice,” Allison compliments, “You should bring him out for a visit some time.”

“I will have to remember to do that.”


	10. Chapter 10

Sam drops her bag onto the ground as she walks into Jack’s waiting arms at the airport. She takes a deep inhale of his scent as he warps his good arm around her. God he smelled good. She hums as he rubs his hand up and down her back a couple times before stepping back.

“Good flight?”

“Not too much to complain about,” Sam replies before running her fingers over the brace that his injured elbow was in with a frown, “What’s this?”

“Oh, Doc slapped it on me a when she sent me home,” Jack says as he looks at the black object wrapped around his arm, “Said it should help heal a bit faster.”

“How have you been feeling?” Sam asks as she reaches down to pick her bag up again. She smiles thankfully at Jack as he takes it from her with his uninjured arm and puts his hand on the small of her back, leading her out to the truck. 

“I’ve been fine, down to Tylenol for the pain,” He tells her. He tosses the bag into the back seat before opening her door for her, “Where do you want to go? Your place or mine?”

“Mine, please. If you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” Jack shakes his head before shutting the door and jogging around to the driver’s side. He climbs up into the truck and digs the keys out of his pocket quickly before turning the engine over. Once they’re out of the airport parking lot he looks over at Sam and watches as she looks out the window. He reaches over and puts his hand on her leg, giving it a squeeze as he drives in silence. He pulls the truck in next to her car and turns the engine off before getting out to grab her bag and open her door for her. Sam thanks him quietly before climbing down and heading towards the front door. She pulls her keys out of her purse and unlocks the door for them, letting Jack in first before following him and closing the door behind herself.

“I’m going to go clean up, do you want to order dinner?”

“Sure, what sounds good?” Jack asks as she takes the bag from him and starts to climb the stairs.

“I wanttttt a giant pile of Chinese food,” Sam commands, “With egg rolls and crab rangoon. And a Diet Coke.”

“Yes ma’am,” Jack salutes before heading into the kitchen to get the menu to her favorite Chinese restaurant. He goes through the menu and picks a few dishes out before calling the restaurant to order. He hangs up the phone once the order is placed and grabs a beer for himself out of her fridge. He hears the floor creak and he turns around to find Sam padding into the kitchen, dressed in floral silk pajama pants and a matching tank top with damp hair, “Food should be here in about twenty minutes.”

“Perfect,” Sam says, stretching up on her toes to kiss him. She hums as his hand slips over her stomach, rubbing his palm over the rounded bulge. Her stomach had ‘popped’ while she was out of town.

“Someone finally decided to say hello,” Jack comments. Sam nods and smiles as she reaches up to cover his hand, threading their fingers together, “How did everything go with Mark?”

“My brother’s an asshole as usual,” Sam grumps.

“What did he say? Is that why you called me?”

“No,” Sam shakes her head with a sigh, “I just got too…inside my head after holding Colin."

“Cause that’s never happened before,” Jack teases. Sam punches him in the arm before letting him tighten his hold on her and pull her back to his chest, “What did your stupid brother say?”

“He said our baby was an accident,” Sam tells him, “Among other things. I freaked out on him.”

“Carter freak out or…”

“I think it qualifies as an O’Neill level freak out,” Sam lets out a bark of a laugh, “I basically told him to go fuck himself.”

“Attagirl,” Jack squeezes her and presses a kiss to her head. Sam runs her nails over his forearm as she leans into his hold, “You told him I was going to kill him right if he hurts you right?”

“Mmm,” Sam hums in the affirmative before turning around in his arms and resting her hands on his chest. Jack’s hand slips lower to the curve of her back and he arches an eyebrow in question as he looks down at her, “You don’t think of this as an accident, do you?”

“Of course not,” Jack shakes his head, “I know it was unplanned…but…”

“But what?” Sam replies as she pushes back slightly, a furrow in her brow and a hurt look in her eyes. Jack sighs and rolls his eyes. He wasn’t good at this. It always ended up coming out wrong at first.

“We’re a constant,” He tries to explain, “Other universes, other dimensions. We are a constant in those. You know? Us. You and me together. How it happens changes, but you and I are a constant.”

“A constant.”

“Yeah, that’s never struck you before?”

“I suppose not…” Sam shakes her head slowly, “So…”

“So unplanned as it might be…” Jack trails off and shrugs.

“A constant,” Sam repeats.

“Nothing that ever brings us together is an accident,” Jack assures her, staring into her eyes to make sure she understands what he’s saying. When she gives him a blinding smile he knows he’s done well and managed to talk her through her worries, “Okay?”

“Yeah,” Sam nods, resting her forehead on his chest. Jack rubs her back slowly until the doorbell rings. She moves to step away from him so he could go grab their food, but is stopped when he tips her chin up, again looking her directly in the eye.

“You sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, sir,” Sam nods. He presses a quick kiss to her lips before going to answer the door. She busies herself with getting them plates and silverware. His beer gets deposited at his place setting as she grabs a glass of milk for herself, taking a small sip as Jack returns, setting the bag on the table, “How much did you order?”

“Uh…Three entrees, extra rice, crab rangoon, and two orders of egg rolls,” Jack counts out as he starts to unpack, “You said you were hungry.”

“I suppose I did,” Sam grins, setting down her glass before starting to open the containers. Between the two of them they manage to polish off most of the food, fighting over the last egg roll before Sam tears it in half and offers the smaller half to him with a teasing grin. She coats it in mustard and sweet and sour sauce before practically stuffing the whole thing in her mouth, “This was a good idea.”

“I’d say so,” Jack dusts off his fingers before wiping his mouth with a napkin. The two clean up in a compatible silence, easily moving around each other. He puts the last dish into the dishwasher before pressing the button to start it and turning off the overhead lights, only leaving the one above the stove on. He walks up to the stairs, listening to water run in the bathroom as Sam gets ready, “Babe, do I have enough clothes here to stay the night?”

Sam steps out of the bathroom with her toothbrush hanging out of her mouth, “Babe?”

“Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?” Jack grins and Sam rolls her eyes.

“Yes you have clothes,” She tells him before going back into the bathroom. Jack finishes locking up the house and sets the coffee maker for the morning before jogging up the stairs. He undresses from his jeans and t-shirt before heading into the bathroom just as Sam was finishing up. She smacks him on the ass as she walks past, laughing softly as he jumps and glares at her. He brushes his teeth and splashes some water on his face before turning the light off and heading into the bedroom. 

Sam was already under the covers in her tank top and underwear, the pants she’d been wearing draped over the footboard. He jumps into his side of the bed, jostling her as he does. She glares at him as he gives her a big grin. 

“I’m in love with a toddler,” Sam shakes her head with a smile.

Over the next couple of weeks Sam quickly finds that Jack’s injury meant more work for her with him popping in and out of her lab as he roamed the base unable to go off world. She repeatedly suggested that he could get up to date on his paperwork instead of bothering her, but God forbid Jack O’Neill actually do a lick of paperwork. So when he wanders in after he was supposed to have an exam of his arm that morning, she’s not surprised.

“Whatcha doin?” Jack asks as he digs one of his toys out of the drawer that she had designated as his. He fishes out a partially finished Rubik’s Cube and leans against the other side of her work bench as he twists the item around in his hand.

“The same thing I’m always doing when you come in,” Sam answers shortly, her fingers easily drifting over the keys on her computer’s keyboard, “How was your exam?”

“Eh, Doc says light duty another week, but I get to take the brace off,” Jack replies, “So, progress.”

“Good.”

“Listen, Hammond wants me to go to this thing in Washington with him next week. I thought you might like to come with me,” Jack asks as he stops fidgeting and watches her.

“What is it?” Sam asks as she looks away from the computer screen in front of her and up at him.

“Some kind of fundraiser? Something or other. I don’t know. It’s black tie and I get a date. I don’t even know why he wants me to go with.”

“Um, sure. I guess,” Sam replies, a smile easing across her lips, “Why not?”

“Great,” Jack grins, “We leave from Petersen on Friday morning.”

“I’ll be ready,” Sam playfully assures him. Jack gives the cube a couple more twists before handing it back to Sam finally finished. She shakes her head and tucks the cube back into the drawer before watching him go with a little skip in his step. She turns back to her computer and shakes her head once more before getting back to typing.

A few hours later Sam drops into a seat across from Janet, happening upon her friend after getting a dinner tray.

“Hey!” Janet greets, closing up the folder beside her tray before giving Sam a smile, “I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Hey, I need help,” Sam opens as she picks up her fork to dig into the meatloaf dinner on her plate.

“You need help?” Janet drawls slowly, “With?”

“Yeah,” Sam says with a deep breath after she takes a couple bites of food, “The Colonel invited me to this thing, in Washington.”

“A thing?”

“If you had heard his description…” Sam rolls her eyes, “Most likely it’s a fundraiser. Politicians, Washington elite, black tie.”

“Okay, so what do you need help with?” Janet reiterates.

“The black tie part,” Sam admits, “I have no idea what to wear or where to even find something to wear to something like that. Especially looking like this.”

“You look like you’re five months pregnant,” The brunette reprimands before looking over Sam’s form, “We could go with something loose and drapey. Maybe strapless…we’d have to go into Denver to find something. When is the ‘thing’?”

“Next Friday.”

“We could do this weekend?” Janet suggests, “I have a couple shops in mind, we could bring Cassie with and have a girl’s day.”

“Sure,” Sam smiles, “That sounds like fun.”

“Sunday?”

“I am free as a bird this weekend,” Sam replies after thinking for a moment, “Wanna pick me up around 0900?”

“We can do that,” Janet smiles, “How have you been feeling?”

“Fine, a little hormonal sometimes, but otherwise fine,” Sam sighs softly as she continues to eat.

“Well hormones are normal, causing emotional fluctuations...,” Janet lists with a sympathetic tone.

“I blew up on my brother when I went to visit him,” Sam admits before starting to go more in depth on the entire situation that had happened between her and Mark and then her and Jack, the two having missed each other most of the last couple of weeks. The two finish their dinner and Janet takes both of their trays to the trash rack at Sam’s protest. She returns to the table with a grin on her face before picking up her files.

“I’ll see you on Sunday if I don’t see you before.”

“Have a good night,” Sam responds with a small smile.

Next Friday Sam is zipping up her bag just as she hears the doorbell ring. She makes her way downstairs with her suitcase in hand and opens the front door when she hears the doorbell. She smiles at finding Jack on the other side wearing his dress blues. She spots the car waiting on the curb, an airman standing outside the open back door.

“Ready to go?”

“Yeah, I just need to grab my dress,” Sam tells him. Jack grabs the small suitcase inside the door as she walks towards the coat closet, grabbing the garment bag off the back of the door. She meets him at the door again and pulls it closed behind her as she locks up.

“You’re still not going to let me see what you’re wearing?”

“Nope,” Sam grins. During her trip to Denver with Janet and Cassie they had gone through a few stores before Sam had found the perfect dress to wear to the event in DC. She’d brought it home in a closed off garment bag and refused to let Jack get a glance during the couple of evenings he’d spent at her house, claiming it was a surprise.

Sam follows behind Jack as they make their way towards the car. The airman takes the bag from him and the garment bag from her, arranging them in the trunk of the car safely before making his way around to the front of the car again. In the backseat she hooks her index finger around Jack’s pinky and smiles at him softly before threading their fingers together.

“When we get there we’re going straight to the White House,” Jack tells her as he squeezes her hand, “I have a meeting with Hammond and the President, but they’re going to take you to the hotel after they drop me off. The event starts at 1900, and the car should be by around 1830 to pick us up. If I don’t make it back in time I’ll meet you there. Otherwise, you’re free to do whatever.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Sam lifts his hand and kisses the back of it. The two sit in a quiet silence for a little while before she speaks up, “There’s going to be food at this thing right?”

“I sure as hell hope so. Better be an open bar too,” He remarks, drawing a laugh out of her.

On the airplane Sam, Jack, and the General lapse into easy conversation like they had while she was still on SG1 and they were working more directly with each other. During the descent of the plane Hammond turns his attention directly to Sam and asks her a few questions about the baby as he catches her soothingly rubbing her hand back and forth over her bump. Her eyes light up a bit as she happily answers his simple questions.

“Any movement yet?” He asks.

“Ah, not particularly,” Sam answers as they touch down on the tarmac, “It’s more like fluttering. Sometimes I don’t even notice it. I’d say it’s comparable to the feeling I get with the naquadah.”

“Speaking of, Doctor Fraiser says everything is going okay?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good,” Hammond smiles. By the time they get out of their transport and arranged in a car at Andrews it’s close to two in the afternoon. Once they make it to the White House after an extremely long traffic jam it’s almost three. Hammond slips out of the limo first and Jack leans over to give Sam a quick kiss on the lips before following him. She leans to look out the door as he straightens his jacket before putting his cap on, admiring his figure. She sits back up and rests her hands in her lap as she’s driven to the hotel they were staying at.

When they pull around to the hotel she thanks the airman as he gets their bags out and follows her inside with them as she gets them checked in. He follows her upstairs and deposits the General’s things in his room before tucking they key card into his pocket and unloading Sam and Jack’s bags into their room.

“Anything else, ma’am?” He asks after hanging the garment bag on a provided hook.

“No, thank you,” Sam assures him, smiling as he salutes her before disappearing down the hallway. She closes the door behind him and drops down onto the bed with a soft groan. She stretches out her legs and kicks off her shoes before looking at her watch. She had enough time to lie down for a bit.

Her cell phone rings as she’s getting dressed later in the afternoon. She finishes clasping her bra before picking up the device and flipping it open, holding it to her ear.

“Carter.”

“Hey you.”

“Hi,” Sam smiles and squishes the phone to her shoulder as she leans down to pull her underwear on.

“Whacha doin?”

“You don’t want to know,” Sam tells him as she settles the fabric on her hips, “What about you?”

“I uh…” Jack stumbles, his thoughts derailed by her statement, “I’m going to have to meet you at the thing, we still have a little bit to go over. Someone should still meet you at the hotel though to bring you over.”

“Okay,” Sam wraps the phone back in her hand and leans her hip against the dresser, “Everything going okay?”

“Yeah fine. I just…still don’t exactly know why I’m here,” He admits and Sam can practically hear him shrug.

“Don’t be so pessimistic,” Sam chides him softly, “It’s fine. Hammond’s probably just trying to keep you more involved.”

“Maybe. I’ll see you soon.”

“You will see me soon,” She smiles, “Bye.”

“Bye,” Jack clips his phone closed before tucking it back in his pocket and heading back into the Oval Office where Hammond and the President were waiting for him.

Sam finishes getting dressed, sitting on the chair in the corner of the room to strap her shoes on before grabbing her clutch and heading downstairs. She spots an airman waiting for her just inside the doors and smiles as she approaches him. The young man snaps to attention and salutes her and Sam shakes her head.

“At ease,” She tells him before following him out to the car. She thanks him as he opens the door for her before closing it once she’s inside. Sam watches the passing scenery as they make their way to where the event was being held. Once the car pulls around to the entrance she undoes her seatbelt and looks up when the door opens. She smiles when she sees Jack on the outside, holding his hand out to her, already changed into his mess dress. Taking his hand she steps out of the car and closes the door behind herself.

Jack swallows as he finally gets a look at her, his eyes wide. The dress she had chosen was a deep navy blue silk. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline, tight around her bust while the rest was loose and flowing, just barely dusting the ground. Her hair was curled and pinned away form her face and her makeup was more fully done than usual with a darker eye and lip. Her jewelry was simple, the set she’d worn on their first date.

“You look…” He mumbles before shaking his head, “You look absolutely amazing.”

“Thank you,” Sam’s skin flushes and Jack wraps his arm around her’s leading her inside. Her heels clack gently against the marble tile as she follows him through the hallways towards what she assumed was going to be a main ballroom.

“How did you…you were just at the hotel…no one looks that good coming out of a hotel bathroom,” Jack quietly exclaims as they walk. Sam laughs softly and squeezes him arm.

“I booked a salon appointment earlier this week. I went before I got dressed.”

“Smart,” Jack grins. Sam drops her head against his shoulder for a moment before standing straighter as they make their way into a party that was already in full swing, “Here we go.”

Later in the evening Sam approaches Jack at the bar, leaning against it as he orders another whiskey.

“He’s grooming you.” Sam comments quietly as she stands next to him. The party did actually end up being a fundraiser, but it was also a who’s who of the Washington and military elite. Hammond had been walking Jack around the room introducing him to people most of the night before leaving him alone to hob knob by himself.

“Who’s doing what to me?” Jack asks before taking a sip of his drink.

“Hammond, he’s grooming you.”

“I groom myself.”

“Not that kind of groom,” Sam rolls her eyes with a soft laugh, knowing he was just messing with her. He grins at her and takes another sip while she looks around the room before locking her eyes back on Jack, “He’s grooming you for stars. Why else would he introduce you to this particular set of people? Most of these senators are on the committees that assign our budget and oversee our operation. You met all day with him and the President.”

“The President is a friend.”

“I know, but still, this isn’t a coincidence,” Sam arches her eyebrow at him as she takes a sip of her soda and lime, “You said you didn’t know why you were here or invited even. Maybe that’s why.”

“I have far too many dings against me to even make General anymore,” Jack self-deprecates.

“I don’t think you do,” Sam tells him, looking back out at the room. She swallows the rest of her drink before grabbing his hand, “Dance with me.”

“Dance with you?”

“Yes,” She nods and takes his drink from him, setting it back down on the bar before pulling him towards the small dance floor. She keeps his one hand in hers and puts her other on his shoulder as his arm easily wraps around her waist. They quickly fall into step together and move along to the band playing in the corner.

“I don’t know that we’ve ever danced together before,” Jack says after a few moments.

“We haven’t,” Sam responds, “We’re pretty good at it though.”

“We’re pretty good at a lot of things,” He points out with a grin on his lips.

“Yes we are,” She agrees with her own grin, stepping a little closer and resting her head against his shoulder. He takes his time to enjoy the feel of her body pressed against his, their baby safely between them. Her scent was surrounding him and infiltrating his senses. She brought out the raw male in him. It brought out his need to protect her, to protect them both. He wanted to mark her as his, to show her off to the world. The two make their way across the dance floor to a few songs before Jack steps back, ending their sway.

“How you doing?”

“My feet are starting to hurt,” Sam admits as they make their way off the dance floor. She probably didn’t need to pull out the stilettos but they went so well with the dress she decided to take the risk. Jack looks around and notices that the party was starting to dwindle.

“We could probably head out, looks like people are starting to head home,” He says as he puts his hand on the small of her back, “Let’s find Hammond real quick and then we can get out of here.”

“Sounds good,” Sam smiles. Jack scans the room quickly before finding his superior and guiding his girlfriend towards the small group he was talking to.

“General,” Jack speaks up the closer they get, “I hate to interrupt, but we were going to head out for the evening.”

“Major Carter,” One of the senators speaks up, “I didn’t know you were around this evening.”

“Senator Miles, it’s good to see you,” Sam smiles at the man standing on the far side of the group, “It’s just Doctor Carter these days. I left the service a few months ago.”

“Resigned? Hammond, you accepted a brilliant scientist like Doctor Carter’s resignation? What kind of ship are you running down there?”

“Well, David…”

“Nothing to worry about, sir,” Sam interjects with a smile wider smile, “Still working with the project, just as a civilian now.”

“Good, we can’t afford to lose a mind like yours,” The senator winks at her before taking a sip of his drink. Sam feels Jack’s hand tighten on her waist as they turn their attention back to Hammond.

“You kids get out of here, it’s been a day,” Hammond says to bid them a good evening. The two say goodbye to the rest of the group before heading out to wait for their car. Jack unbuttons his jacket and sighs softly as he rocks on his heels next to Sam.

“Do senators always flirt with you?”

“Not always,” Sam teases as she tugs the top of her dress up slightly now that they were alone, “Plenty of people flirt, Jack. But you know what?”

“What?” Jack asks as he looks down at her. She looks up at him with a gleam in her eyes and a sweet smile on her lips.

“I will only ever have eyes for you,” She tells him honestly. Jack grins and wraps his arm around her shoulder, holding her close.

“Good.”

Once they get back to the hotel Jack carries Sam’s shoes inside for her as they make their way upstairs to their room. They let the door thud shut behind them as they walk in and he tosses the shoes onto her suitcase. Sam moans as she tugs the pins out of her hair and shakes it loose, running her fingers through the curls and massaging her scalp. Jack folds his jacket over the back of the chair and reaches up to tug his bowtie loose and undo the first button on his shirt. 

“Unzip?” Sam requests as she turns her back to him. Jack nods and slides the zipper down all the way before slipping his hands inside the fabric and letting it drop to the ground as he pulls her closer. She laughs softly as he kisses her neck before turning her head and capturing his lips, “Let me hang it up real quick.”

“Mmkay,” He mumbles before letting her go. She leans down and picks up the dress before going to put it on the hangar she’d left behind earlier in the evening. Jack sits down on the end of the bed and leans down to untie his shoes and get them off, tugging his dress socks off as well. He wiggles his toes for a moment before finishing unbuttoning his shirt as he watches her take her jewelry off. Sam turns around after she finishes and makes her way over to the bed, standing between Jack’s legs.

“My beautiful girl,” Jack murmurs as he looks her over before looking up into her eyes. The blue sparkles back at him at his compliment. Who knew Jack O’Neill could be such a romantic.

“Hi,” Sam smiles and leans down, pressing a kiss to his lips as her arms snake around his neck, “How is your arm feeling?”

“Better now that you’re in it,” Jack grins and winks at her. Sam laughs at the corny line before pushing him back onto the bed. The two tussle for a while before they’re both undressed and panting as Sam straddles Jack. He grins evilly up at her and easily flips her around, the headboard thunking slightly against the wall as he does.

“Is it always going to be a fight for the top?” Sam asks.

“Oh yeah,” Jack laughs before leaning down to capture her lips. It’s a couple of more flips and turns before he has her on her knees in front of him, his front pressed to her back. He presses a soft kiss to her shoulder and nips softly at the pale skin, “I love you.”

“I know,” Sam murmurs as she reaches back to thread her fingers through his thick hair. She moans as he rocks his hips into hers, “We have to be quiet.”

“Why?” Jack asks as his hands slip up over her stomach and cup her breasts in his palms.

“The General has the room right next to us.”

“Which way?” Jack asks, relieved when she points to the opposite side of the room. He playfully pushes her down so she’s resting on her elbows and briefly wonders if the sex is always going to be this good. Sam moans into the pillow under her face as he pushes into her, the headboard thunking softly once more. He easily makes her come undone under his ministrations, finds the perfect angle, pushes his calloused fingers up her spine and into her hair, massaging her scalp. How he knows how to play her so easily is unknown to her, all she knows is she doesn’t ever want him to stop. By the time she’s at the precipice her hands are white knuckled around the pillow and she’s not entirely sure the fabric is smothering her cries anymore. Jack lets out a strangled grunt and she practically screams as the ignition runs from her core through all of her nerve endings.

They curl up together in the tangled sheets and Sam brushes her fingers over the pink skin of Jack’s elbow as he wraps his arm around her. He presses a soft kiss to her temple and sinks down into the pillow behind him. She smiles softly at him and rests her forehead against his. He studies her for a few moments, taking in the shade of her eyes and the flush of her skin, the way her hair naturally curled at her temples. He kisses her gently before resting his head back and closing his eyes.


	11. Chapter 11

Jack closes the lid on the washer and turns the dial before stepping out of the laundry room to let the machine run. He was spending more time at Sam’s house than not. He only occasionally stopped by his to check the mail or pick up a particular item of clothing he didn’t have with him. Sometimes if SG1 got back late he would stay at his instead of waking her up in the middle of the night. 

It was soon after they started spending most of their spare time together that he started pitching in with chores. He would make sure that the dishwasher was loaded and emptied, that the laundry was done and folded, and that things were picked up at the end of the day. They never talked about it though. It just became a part of their lives. Living together, just unofficially.

Sam was on base working and he had the day off for rack time so he was going through and making sure the house was picked up for when she got home. She’d been working longer hours lately and he tried to remind her that she needed to rest. That it wasn’t just herself that she needed to think about anymore. But she reassured him that she was taking care of herself and that it was a necessary evil of their job.

Jack looks through the groceries they had, having replenished them earlier in the morning. He digs through the fridge and starts to pull things out before getting the one cookbook Sam had down and starting to put together dinner for the two of them. He easily finds himself lost in his preparations and when he hears the front door open and close he checks his watch, surprised that the afternoon had passed so quickly and that she was, for once, home on time.

“Something smells good,” Sam calls out from the entry way as she takes her shoes off and hangs up her purse and coat. Fall was starting to breeze it’s way through Colorado and she’d packed away her summer wear for sweaters and jackets.

“Dinner. You know that meal you eat after lunch, before breakfast.”

“I had heard of it,” Sam jokes back before making her way into the kitchen, smiling when she finds him standing at her island with a towel over his shoulder chopping away.

“How was your day?” Jack asks as he looks over his shoulder at her for a moment before resuming his task.

“Good. I set some simulations to run before I left,” She tells him, “Hopefully I should have some things…”

As she trails off Jack looks back at her over his shoulder. He sets the knife in his hand down and steps closer to her when he sees her cupping her stomach with a furrow in her brow, “Sam? What is it? What’s wrong?”

“I…She kicked,” Sam says after another moment of tense silence. The furrow in her brow turning into a wide smile as she looks up at him, “Or punched or something. But I actually felt her move.”

“Yeah?” Jack asks, relieved. She nods and grabs his hand, pulling him closer before pressing it to her abdomen. Her eyes look up at him with an expectant sparkle in them and he shakes his head, “I’m not feeling anything.”

“You’re not?” Sam pouts slightly.

“It'll probably be a few more weeks,” He tells her, remembering what he could from when Sara was pregnant with Charlie, “He’s still pretty tiny.”

“Janet says _she’s_ getting bigger,” Sam tells him with a small smirk. She’d had a lunch time appointment with the doctor earlier in the day and had been assured that the baby was growing right on schedule. Jack laughs and shakes his head. He pulls his hand back and turns back to the cutting board, offering her one last look.

“You know, we could just find out.”

“I want it to be a surprise.”

“Then why do you insist on calling him she?” Jack asks as she puts her hands on his waist, leaning into his back. She rests her head on his shoulder and shrugs.

“Because it feels like a girl. Call it mother’s intuition.”

“Right,” Jack replies, a skeptical tinge to his teasing tone, “Dinner should be done soon if you want to clean up.”

“What are we having?” Sam asks as she pulls away before grabbing a glass down and filling it with water.

“Uh…chicken enchilada bake,” Jack answers, taking a moment to remember what he’d stuck in the oven earlier.

“Fancy,” Sam replies as she leans over the edge of the counter and smiles at him, taking a sip from her glass.

“I found it in your cookbook,” Jack shrugs with a smile. Sam leans over and kisses him before going upstairs to change. She comes back down a few minutes later with her hair pulled back in a ponytail wearing one of his Air Force t-shirts and a pair of stretchy leggings. She smiles at him as she grabs plates and starts to set the table, “You said something about simulations?”

“Yeah, I’ve been working on trying to manipulate the…” Sam nods as she starts telling him about what she was currently working on. She was on a pressing timeline of trying to get one of their new defense weapons into testing by the end of the month. He knew she’d make it but she was still in the beginning stages and was feeling the crunch of impossibility at the moment, hence her longer hours.

“You've been working with Doctor Fellowes?” Jack asks as he sets the casserole on the table before going back to grab the salad he’d put together.

“Yeah, she’s…great.”

“You don’t sound convinced?” The scientist had found a place on SG1 in Sam’s wake after they’d tested out a few other people. She was good. Not quite Sam good, but good none the less. Sam had been working with her when she was on-world to help develop her skills in a time crunch, giving her scenarios they had been through before to see how she would handle them.

“No, no, I am. She really is great. She’s a breath of fresh air after working with everyone else. She’s smart and she approaches problems from outside the box," Sam backtracks slightly, gesturing as she talks.

“But?” Jack questions as Sam pauses on the other side of the table, putting down the flatware.

“She makes me miss it,” Sam whispers with a shrug and a sad smile. Jack sets the sour cream and salsa down before walking around to her side of the table and taking the silverware out of her hand. He sets it down on the table before turning her around and tipping her chin up so she was looking at him.

“Are you regretting your decision?”

“No, no,” Sam shakes her head and looks down before shrugging, “N…I don’t know. Regret is probably a bit strong. I just really, really miss it.”

“You can always come back,” Jack reminds her as his hands brush down her arms, “We can work something out with the regs, the baby…”

“I don’t know that I miss it _that_ much...yet,” Sam shakes her head and looks back up at him.

“You know I’ll always be here to enable you right?” Jack tells her with a grin. Sam laughs and nods as he steps away before gesturing at the table with a flourish, “But for right now, dinner is served.”

“Thank you,” Sam says as he pulls out her chair for her before pushing her in and making his way around to the other side of the table. After dinner Sam takes charge of cleaning up, sending Jack to the living room with a beer as she starts dishing out the leftovers into containers for them to take to work. Once she’s finished she stacks everything back into the fridge and goes to work washing out the casserole dish. The dish gets set out to dry on a towel before she wipes her hands off and turns off the lights, making her way to join him. She grabs her newest copy of Scientific American off the table before nestling into his side and flipping the cover open. After a while Jack notices her hand moving back and forth across her stomach and a look of slight discomfort on her face.

“You okay?”

“She won’t stop!” Sam exclaims. After feeling the baby really move earlier it seemed like that was all she was feeling anymore, “It just feels weird. Like some octopus sprawling around.”

“Gross,” Jack wrinkles his nose. He shifts his position and lifts Sam’s shirt much to her surprise, leaning down close to her stomach.

“Jack, what are you doing?” She asks as he moves.

“Hey!” Jack says in his ‘Colonel’ tone, “Leave your mom alone. You’re just showing off now.”

Sam covers her mouth to smother her laugh as she listens to him before jumping as he turns his attention to her.

“Hey. No giggling, Major.”

“Of course not, sir,” Sam shakes her head trying to keep a straight face before bursting into giggles as Jack grins. He pats her on the stomach before pulling her shirt back down.

“That’s about all I can do for you.”

“Well thank you for the effort,” She thanks him before kissing him. Jack hungrily kisses her back before pressing kisses down her jaw and burying his nose into her neck and hair.

“My beautiful girl.”

“Beautiful girls,” Sam corrects with a smile.

“Mmm, that does have a nice ring to it,” Jack replies. Sam threads her fingers into his hair and cradles him close as she kisses his temple. Her nails gently scratch against his scalp as he continues to kiss and nip at her neck. After a few moments she pulls his head back and presses a soft kiss to his lips before nipping playfully at his nose.

“How about you turn the tv off? And we go to bed?”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” He grins. She pulls away and pushes herself up, waiting for him to turn off the tv and get up himself before holding her hand out and dragging him upstairs.

Just past her twenty third week mark Sam groans softly as she stretches out in bed and reaches out to turn off the alarm blaring right next to her head. She takes a deep breath and lets it out as she smoothes her hands over her belly. A smile spreads across her face as she feels what she thought was a foot press back against her hand.

"Good morning, little star,” She murmurs as she rubs her fingertips over the spot.

"I'm not up yet," Jack mumbles, practically curled up in a ball on his side of the bed.

“Last I checked that wasn’t your nickname, flyboy,” She laughs softly and reaches over to run her fingers down his bare back. He grunts softly and stretches out before rolling over to face her. She smiles at his sleepy face and takes his hand in hers, pressing a kiss to his fingertips before putting his palm on her stomach.

“Feel,” She gently commands, looking across the bed at him. She shushes him as he opens his mouth to speak. After a beat the corners of his eyes crinkle as he finally feels what she had been so excited about.

“Hey there,” Jack says as he rubs his thumb over the spot he had just felt a tiny hand or foot. She grins and moves his hand slightly to feel another movement. He pulls back after a moment and shuffles closer to her, kissing her softly. His arms snake around her and pull her on top of him as he rolls onto his back. She laughs softly and nips at his bottom lip before pulling back and pushing herself up on her forearms, “Little star?”

“It’s what I call her when I talk to her sometimes,” Sam admits.

“You’re cute,” Jack teases her and she rolls her eyes before pushing herself up all the way.

“ _You_ need to get into the shower,” She reminds him and he groans as he looks at the alarm clock. He playfully shoves her off of him and drops another kiss on her lips before heading into her ensuite. Sam sighs and rolls out of the other side of the bed, padding over to her closet. She gets dressed as Jack showers and pulls her shirt over her head as the water turns off. She smoothes her hands over her stomach as she tucks in before zipping up her pants and stepping into her shoes. Making her way downstairs she fills a to-go mug with coffee and spins the lid on before filling another one with hot water and tea bag. Jack pounds down the stairs a few minutes later dressed and ready to go and she holds the coffee mug out to him as she stands by the door, waiting to leave. He grabs his sunglasses and keys off the front table before kissing her as he grabs the coffee mug. By the time they get to the mountain the coffee cup was empty and he leaves it in the cup holder as he climbs out of the Volvo they had taken in. He steps around to Sam’s side and stops her before she can start walking towards the entrance.

“What?” She asks with an arched eyebrow. Jack looks around before squatting down in front of her and putting his hands on her belly. He feels another faint roll and his eyes crinkle again. He presses a kiss to the cotton stretched over her stomach before murmuring quietly. Sam doesn’t catch what he says before he stands up and kisses her.

“Have a good day.”

“You too,” She tells him, taking a more leisurely pace towards the entrance than he does. By the time she manages to swing by her lab for her coat and make her way to the control room Jack’s already in his gear, clipping his P90 onto his vest. She stands back as the gate is dialed up, watching as the wormhole activates. Her eyes cast over the shimmering blue and she watches as the team finishes getting ready before stepping through the event horizon. Almost immediately the wormhole disconnects and she shakes her head before heading back to her lab. She shuts the door behind herself, not wanting to be disturbed as she delved back into her project. Sometimes it was lonely at the top, and sometimes she just wanted to be alone. 

Three days later SG1 gets back from their mission early in the morning, but it’s not until she runs into Daniel and Teal’c in the commissary a little after eight that Sam realizes they had returned. She smiles and finishes gathering her breakfast before she sits down with them, asking how their mission had gone. Daniel regales her with the tale of what they had been up to over the last 72 hours as she and Teal’c eat their food.

“Have you seen Jack?” She asks as he begins to wrap up and she spoons up the last of her blue jello. She was surprised that he hadn’t come to the house and she hadn’t seen him yet. Though considering Daniel and Teal’c were still up and not in their beds maybe he was still lingering around base somewhere and just hadn’t come down for breakfast.

“He said he had some business to take care of after we got done with the briefing,” Daniel shrugs, “Must have left the base.”

“Oh, thanks,” Sam smiles before changing the topic, “You guys should come over soon, it’s been a while since we’ve had a group night.”

“Yeah definitely, name the night. If we’re on Earth…we’re not terribly busy,” Daniel jokes with a smile. The three get up to clear the table and after setting her tray on top of the rack she bumps her shoulder against his and looks up as he looks over at her.

“You busy?”

“Uh, not particularly. I mean I have some translations we brought back that I need to work on,” Daniel explains as he starts to walk with her, “Why did you need something?”

“A change of scenery,” Sam smiles, “You wouldn’t mind if I sat in with you for a while would you?”

“Of course not,” Daniel shakes his head, “You’re always welcome.”

“Thanks. I’m going to have to grab some stuff but I’ll be right over,” She tells him before heading back to her lab. She grabs her laptop and a notebook she’d been working on before going to sit with Daniel. She pulls up a chair on the other side of the table and spreads a few things out. Her eyes drift away from the calculations in front of her on occasion as Daniel writes things on the chalkboard. She gets up once he finishes writing and reaches out for a stick of chalk, “Do you mind if I give it a try?”

“Go for it,” Daniel gestures. Sam steps up to the board and works through the words that she knew before taking a stab at some of the other words. She steps back after a few minutes and looks at Daniel expectantly, watching as he corrects a few things, “This looks good. This word here is most likely ‘doom’ and this string would form a phrase. And if we fill in with this…”

“You already knew what it said didn’t you?” Sam asks. Daniel scratches the back of his neck and nods with a small smile.

“I was just writing it all out, it’s a long passage and there’s some stuff later that we just found that I need to figure out,” He explains. Sam smiles and sets the chalk down, “But good to know your goa’uld isn’t rusty.”

“Thank you for taking pity on me.”

“It’s not pity,” Daniel protests as she rounds the table back to her laptop. She doesn’t sit down and instead picks up an idol from the table, stroking her fingers over the smooth marble.

“I _do_ get bored sometimes,” Sam admits, “The rush is missing you know?”

“You mean Jack breathing down your neck to hurry up or you’re going to die?”

“Yeah,” Sam laughs.

“We do miss you,” Daniel tells her simply with a small shrug, “You can’t think we wouldn’t.”

“I miss you guys too,” She says, putting the idol down. She sits back down at her computer and works in a compatible silence with Daniel until she notices it was close to the end of the day. She packs up her things and thanks him for the workspace as she goes to put her things back. She grabs her jacket and purse before heading topside and making her way to her car.


	12. Chapter 12

Sam doesn’t spot Jack’s truck when she gets home so she makes her way inside and locks the door behind herself before going upstairs to change. Her work clothes get discarded for a pair of loose pajama pants and a tank top and she takes her contacts out, rubbing her eyes before she puts on her glasses. She makes her way back downstairs and goes into the kitchen, pulling out some leftovers to heat up. Once she takes the food out of the microwave she sinks down onto the couch and turns the tv on. After she finishes eating she deposits the container on the coffee table and stretches out along the length of the couch, scratching her nails over the fabric stretched across her stomach. She hears the door a few minutes later and smiles as Jack climbs over the back of the couch to squeeze in behind her.

“Hi."

“Hi,” He murmurs, pressing a kiss to her shoulder as they shift to get more comfortable. Sam hands Jack the remote and lets him pick what they were going to watch as she rests her head on his arm. They lay in a comfortable silence for a while, his thumb stroking back and forth across her hip as she plays with the fingers of the arm pinned under her head. The first and second period of a hockey game neither of them cared about breeze by before anyone speaks.

“Do you consider Colorado home?” Jack asks quietly.

“Home?” Sam replies with a questioning tone in her voice. They had never really talked about home. She’d absorbed him into her house for the most part. She found a home in him. What was home to her?

“Yeah. If transfers happened, if there were reassignments. Would Colorado be home to you?” Jack explains his question. Sam shifts slightly and strokes Jack’s forearm as he holds onto her.

“I suppose so, yeah,” Sam nods, “Colorado Springs has been my longest post. We’ve built a family here…I found you. We have Daniel, Teal’c, Janet, Cassie.”

“Okay,” Jack simply replies before shifting his hand from her hip to rub back and forth over her stomach, pausing when he feels the baby kicking.

“That’s it?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay,” Sam says skeptically. She covers his hand and they lapse into another silence. Once the game ends Sam groans as she pushes herself up into a sitting position, looking back at Jack. He runs his hand up her back and smiles at her.

“You up for a drive?” He asks

“A drive? It’s…almost 2100. I’m in my pajamas,” Sam says after checking her watch. Jack shrugs and just looks at her, waiting for her answer, “A drive?”

“Yes, a drive.”

“Okay,” Sam sighs and nods. Jack gives her a shove to help her up off the couch before rolling off himself. She slides into a pair of loafers and he stuffs his feet back into his boots before grabbing his keys off of the front table and opening the door for her.

“It shouldn’t take that long,” He assures her as they step outside.

“Where are we going?” Sam asks as she tangles her hands up in her sleeve cuffs before wrapping her arms around her torso. Her eyes are on him as they make their way down the walk. 

“Now _that_ is part of the surprise,” Jack tells her before hitting the unlock button on his key fob. The beep the car makes is different and Sam finally turns to pay attention to where she was walking, surprised to find a black Jeep Grand Cherokee in her driveway instead of the usual F250 that usually took it over.

“This isn’t your truck.”

“Very astute. It is not a truck, but it is mine,” Jack says as he steps past her, “I bought it this afternoon.”

“I…Where’s the truck?” Sam asks, offering him a confused look. He loved his truck. Why would he get something else?

“At the house, safe and sound,” He replies as he opens the passenger side door for her.

“Why did you buy another…truck?”

“Technically an SUV and you can’t really fit a carseat in the truck, can you?” He shrugs, “Besides this still has tons of hauling room and four wheel drive, it’s just…bigger and safer and can fit a carseat.”

“You bought a second vehicle so we’d have a car that fits a carseat.”

“Well, I mean your Volvo can fit a carseat no problem,” Jack points out, “I just figured we should probably have two of them, you know. Make things easier?”

“But it’s a second car.”

“Am I speaking Ancient again and I don’t know it,” Jack asks, failing to see where the issue was. 

“You love that truck,” Sam points out.

“And I still have it to haul big manly things in it,” Jack replies sarcastically before frowning as Sam sniffles, “Oh come on, don’t start crying on me now.”

“You bought a car for our baby, how can I not start crying? Jerk,” Sam slaps him on the shoulder as a fat tear rolls down her cheek.

“Ow, I buy a new car and I get hit and called a jerk. Woman,” Jack rolls his eyes with a laugh before he holds his hand out inviting her to climb up into the car, “Come on, it still has new car smell.”

Sam climbs up and settles into the nice leather interior before buckling her seatbelt. Jack closes the door and moves around to the driver’s side before pulling himself up and into the seat. He starts the engine and gestures around.

“See, nice,” Jack compliments as he starts the engine up. Sam laughs and wipes her face off, looking around the new vehicle before focusing on the scenery as they start to drive.

“So, you won’t tell me where we’re going?” Sam asks again after a few minutes.

“I want to…get your opinion on something,” Jack replies cryptically, “That’s all I’ll tell you.”

“Okay,” Sam says, drawing the word out, trying to figure out where they were going as he drives along. By all intents and purposes they were driving away from town, not into it. She watches the scenery pass as they drive for about half an hour before Jack pulls down a long gravel driveway before stopping in front of a house. It was a larger house than either of them owned, a mix between a farm house and a rustic cabin look. A short three floors with a wrap around porch and a brick red colored door. There was a three car garage next to it in the same style and the front yard was well groomed and professionally landscaped. She could see a barn a ways back behind the house.

Sam looks over as Jack turns the car off before jumping out. He makes his way over to her side and pulls the door open before offering her a hand down. Sam slips down from the seat and rests a hand on her stomach as she takes a closer look at the house. She looks at Jack skeptically as he closes the door to the car before locking it.

“What is this?” She asks him.

“It’s an older house, but it’s been through quite a few upgrades in the last few years. It sits on about a hundred acres. There’s the house it has five bedrooms, three bathrooms, nice kitchen, formal dining room, two dens, built out basement. The porch wraps around to the back patio that has a built in fire pit, enough room for a pool in the yard. There’s the three car garage, pretty self explanatory but there’d definitely be enough room to work on the bikes," Jack explains scratching the back of his neck as he talks, insecurity starting to break out of his stoic facade, "The barn is meant for horses and there’s a fenced in area for them. Most of the acreage beyond the immediate yard is wooded. There’s some farmland on the way back, the family that owns the adjoining farm maintains that."

"But why are we here?" She asks, starting to understand the direction he was going, but wanting to confirm her thoughts.

"Well, when I was coming back from the dealership I just happened to drive by as the guy was putting the 'for sale' sign in the yard and he offered to walk me through it. I told him we had the potential to be very interested and that I wanted to bring you over. He apparently trusted the fact that I was an upstanding Air Force Colonel and left me the code for the lock box. So it could be home, possibly. If you like it I mean…”

"You've been looking at houses?"

"No," He shakes his head, "I hadn't even considered it until I saw this place. I've basically moved in with you, and your house is fine for the two of us and the baby. But for some reason I turned into the driveway. You wanna to take a look?"

“Uh, sure. I suppose,” Sam nods, following behind him as they approach the front door. Jack punches in the code to unlock the lockbox, pulling out the key. He unlocks the front door and pushes it open, stepping in in front of Sam as he holds the door open for her. 

Once she steps inside he shuts the door and starts to give her the tour. The house opens up into an entry hall with the formal dining room off to the right and the large living area off to the left. They walk back further into the house into the large kitchen with an eat-in breakfast nook. There was a laundry room to the right of the kitchen and a sun room off the back that lead out to the patio. Jack assures her they can take a look when their done before ushering her up the back stairs to the second floor. Master bedroom to the left with an ensuite, bathroom in the hall straight ahead, den and two guest rooms off to the right. Up on the third floor slash attic is an area split into two loft style bedrooms. He guides her back downstairs and to the basement, pointing out the second den and the fully finished ‘entertainment’ area before bringing her back up and taking her outside.

Off the back deck area the mountains were in the far distance, the woods in the more immediate one. The back yard stretches far, but the most immediate area is groomed and well kept. The barn is off to the east and she can now easily see the fenced in area for the horses. She looks up and could see a decent amount of stars considering they weren’t too far out of town. She notices a small balcony off of the master bedroom, currently set up with two Adirondack chairs and a small side table. She could picture setting up Jack’s telescope there.

“I know you can’t see too much in the dark,” Jack says, “We can come back this weekend in the daytime so you can get a better look at it…”

“You like it?" She asks him.

"Yeah I like it," Jack shrugs as he looks at her, his face a blank mask but his body language giving his inner thoughts away. 

This was more than his usual nervous tick energy. He was actually nervous about her reactions. She watches him quietly as she plays back the last half hour in her mind, walking through the house again. It was almost everything she’d ever dreamed of in a house. There was room for kids and friends and family. There was room to grow, to put down roots. He had been continuously checking her face as they moved along to make sure that she was still with him. 

Sam's head tilts and her big blue eyes blink slowly as dots slowly start to connect together, but she couldn't put her finger on his end game.

“What are you up to?” She asks point blank. Jack stares back at her for a moment before he scrubs his hand through his hair and digs into his pocket. He pulls out a small box and opens the lid to check the contents, staring for a moment before wincing at the joint pops as he gets down on one knee in front of her, “Jack…”

“Just…think about the house for a moment, picture it a couple years down the road…what do you see?” He asks. Sam gives him a mildly incredulous look, fear and astonishment swimming under the surface, “Humor me, please. Close your eyes and picture it.”

“Okay,” Sam agrees, closing her eyes as she stands in front of him. To say she felt slightly foolish was an understatement.

“What do you see?” Jack asks after giving her a few moments.

“Pigtails,” Sam says the first thing that comes to her mind.

“Pigtails?” Jack questions.

“She has pigtails. They’re the tiny, cute, barely there ones. The ones where you wonder why the parents even bother.”

“What else?” He prods.

“Cassie and Boomer are chasing her around the yard, but she can barely run. Daniel and Teal’c are in charge of grilling for some reason. Janet is ‘supervising’ with the General…”

“What about us?”

“We’re in the kitchen,” She tells him with a smile on her lips before her tone turns to exasperation, “I’m trying to get your cake ready and you keep sticking your hand up my shirt.”

“Old, not dead,” Jack tells her, a smile spreading across his lips. Sam opens her eyes and looks at him, kneeling in front of her. She reaches out and puts her hand over his mouth as he starts to talk.

“Yes.”

“Mphem?” Jack sounds from behind her palm. Sam rolls her eyes and pulls her hand back, “Yes?”

“Yes,” She says again an innocent look on her face.

“Is that a yes to the house or a yes to…”

“Yes,” Sam says slowly, a smile still on her lips. Jack studies her for a moment before opening his mouth again.

“So yes?”

“Yeah,” She breathes with a quick nod. Jack claps the box closed and manages to push himself up rather quickly from his position before crushing his lips to hers. Sam kisses him back just as eagerly, her arms wrapping around his waist. He pulls back from the kiss first and rests his forehead against hers as his broad hands run up her back.

“A house, a kid, some money in the bank…not too bad, huh?”

“No, not bad at all,” Sam agrees, “Just have to save the planet a few more times.”

“Just a few more times,” He concedes. She tips her chin up and kisses him once more.

"I'm in my pajamas and we're standing on the back deck of a house we don't own yet."

"It'll be a story," He grins and she laughs.

"Can we go home?"

"Yeah, we can go home," He agrees, brushing her hair back from her face before kissing her forehead.

"Can I have my ring?" She grins playfully at him. He laughs and nods before opening the box still encased in his hand. He pulls the ring out and slips it onto her finger looking up at her.

"Good fit?"

"Perfect," She tells him as she flares her fingers out to take a look at the new piece of jewelry. It was a simple oval cut stone with diamonds around the band. Her brow furrows as she looks at the stone, watching as it changes different shades of blue and purple as it catches the light, "What..."

"P8Y-627, you liked how it looked," He grins, "I might have swiped a little pebble."

"Jack, you can't just swipe rocks on our missions," Sam reprimands.

"I gave it to the lab and had them make sure it wasn't some weird alien stone. They said if anything it's a close cousin to sapphire," He placates. She purposefully wiggles it in the light to get another look before smiling again at him.

"I like it."

"Good," He nods before leading her back through the house and out the front door. He puts the key back in the lock box, putting a reminder in his head to call the realtor the next day.

It takes them a little over two weeks to get to the final paperwork signing on the house. Sam watches on as Jack scribbles his name across the forms, nearing the end of the stack before he drops all of the paper back in place and turns to her.

“Last chance to back out,” Jack offers as he holds the pen out to Sam. She reaches out to take the item, her fingers brushing against his. She shakes her head with a smile and grabs the clipboard in front of him starting to initial and sign her way through their closing paperwork.

“No backing out,” She tells him. They both had listed their houses for sale and were already getting prospective buyers sniffing around. Once they finished filling out their paperwork today the house was officially going to be theirs and they were planning on being moved in in time to celebrate Thanksgiving. Jack reaches over and rests his hand on Sam’s leg for a moment before reaching up to put his palm on her stomach, “She’s sleeping. Don’t wake her up.”

“Mean,” Jack playfully pouts at her. Sam smiles and flips to the next page, taking his hand from her stomach and putting it back on her leg, keeping it covered with her own. She’s surprised that he manages to sit relatively patiently until she finishes signing her portion of the paperwork. Once she’s finished they both get their copies of everything before they’re handed the keys. They thank their realtor before leaving the office and walking out to the car. Sam dangles he keys in front of his face and gives him a triumphant smile.

“You’re stuck with me for the next 30 years.”

“Oh, such a terrible terrible fate I am going to suffer,” Jack sasses back. Sam laughs and kisses him before tossing the keys into her purse.

“We should get going, everyone’s supposed to be at the house in a couple hours and we still need to get food ready,” Sam tells him as she swipes some lipstick from his mouth. They had left the mountain early to go sign the paperwork and were having a group gathering at Sam’s once everyone was off for the weekend.

“Ah, let ‘em wait, we’re feeding them for free,” Jack shrugs as he opens her door for her. They make their way back to Sam’s and once they’re inside Jack heads for the kitchen as Sam goes upstairs, stuffing her copy of the paperwork into the safe she had in her closet. She sets her purse on her dresser and changes out of her work clothes into a navy blue stretchy sweater dress before padding her way downstairs. She turns on some music in the living room before calling out to Jack.

“Alright, where are we at?” She asks as she steps into the kitchen, ready to help. The two manage to work in tandem until the doorbell rings a little before six in the evening. Sam leaves Jack in the kitchen with a kiss to his cheek before going to answer the door. She checks the peephole before opening it up and welcoming Daniel and Teal’c in, “Hey guys!”

“Hey!” Daniel greets enthusiastically before wrapping Sam in a hug, “Janet was just going to get Cassie and then she’d be over.”

“Great,” Sam replies as she gives Teal’c a hug as well before leading them towards the kitchen and living area, “Jack is in the kitchen finishing up dinner. Do you guys want something to drink? We’ve got beer, water, wine, soda, and some juice I think.”

“I’ll take a beer,” Daniel replies.

“Teal’c? I am pretty sure we picked up some Sprite for you?”

“That would be most appreciated, MajorCarter,” Teal’c bows his head slightly. Sam gets into the fridge and pulls out two bottles of beer and two cans of soda. She hands one of the cans of soda to Teal’c before opening both beers. She hands one out to Daniel before setting one next to Jack as he stands at the stove.

“Aw you do love me, babe!”

“Babe?” Daniel questions as he takes a drink out of his beer. Sam rolls her eyes as she opens her own soda before stepping out of Jack’s area.

“He does it to get a rise out of me,” She explains while she glares at the back of Jack’s head. She turns back around to face the two of them as she grabs an olive out of the snacks they had laid out for the evening.

“What’s for dinner?” Daniel asks Jack as he grabs a few chips.

“Spaghetti,” Jack replies as he stirs the spoon around the pot once more before lifting it out and holding it out to Sam, “Taste.”

Sam leans over and tastes the sauce from the spoon, licking her lips as she pulls back, “Little more salt.”

“This domestic-y thing is weird,” Daniel points out, wagging his finger between the two of them. Sam laughs and steps past him to the living room to turn the music down a little bit and switch out the CD playing.

“He has his own drawer upstairs and does laundry,” Sam teases, “I even got him to clean the bathroom once.”

“Hey hey hey!” Jack yells, “Don’t be telling my secrets over there.”

“Yes, _dear_ ,” Sam replies. Daniel shakes his head at the two of them as Teal’c simply arches his eyebrow.

“So, how’s the baby?” Daniel asks, changing the subject.

“According to Janet, doing just fine. Everything’s growing right on schedule,” Sam explains as she leans her back against the counter, “Her favorite thing to do right now is to kick me in the kidney."

“Her?”

“According to her,” Jack interjects as he turns around to fill a pot with water, “ _He_ is also very good at kicking her in other places.”

“I am confused, is the child male or female?” Teal’c butts in.

“We don’t know yet, Teal’c,” Sam explains with a smile, “We’re waiting to find out until the baby’s born. I think it’s a girl, Jack thinks it’s a boy. Though I think he just says that to oppose me.”

“What do you base these assumptions on?”

“Nothing,” Sam shrugs and laughs, “It’s all just silly hoping and wishing. We’d both be happy with either, as long as the baby is healthy.”

“Sometimes in order to help expecting parents form a bond with their child,” Daniel explains, “It’s good for them to think of the child using terms of he or she, or they I suppose, instead of it, which makes the baby seem more like an inanimate object.”

“I see,” Teal’c nods slightly as the doorbell rings again. Sam steps away from them to let Janet and Cassie in, hugging the girl tightly to her side as Janet slips her coat off and hangs it next to the door.

“It smells good in here,” Janet compliments.

“Jack’s cooking today, so we can promise edible food that will be relatively on time,” Sam tells her before letting Cassie go and walking them further into the house, “Wine?”

“Please,” Janet nods a little too energetically. Sam gets a soda for Cassie before getting a bottle of wine down from the holder she had on top of the fridge.

“Red okay?”

“Perfect,” Janet replies as she peers into the pot of sauce Jack was working on, laughing as he swats her away. Sam gets the corkscrew out and opens the bottle before grabbing a glass and pouring Janet a healthy serving, “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Sam smiles as she stuffs the cork back in before putting the bottle on the counter. She grabs another snack and pops it in her mouth. Peckish seemed to be her middle name these days.

“Sam,” Cassie speaks up, pulling on Sam’s arm slightly, “Can I feel the baby?”

“Mmm,” Sam swallows with a shake of her head, “She’s not doing too much right now, maybe after dinner. She usually likes to get up before I go to bed.”

“It sleeps?” The girl asks, looking between her mom and Sam. Janet nods as she swallows a gulp of wine from her glass.

“Fetuses don’t necessarily have the same sleep and wake cycles we do, but they do sleep and wake up throughout the day,” Janet explains.

“That’s so cool,” Cassie grins before turning around as Daniel calls her name and beckons her over. Janet keeps her eye on the girl for a second before turning to Sam as she takes another drink of her wine.

“She is absolutely enthralled with the idea of you having a baby,” Janet tells her with a grin, “I can only hope that the handful she will be when she gets here is enough of a deterrent to keep even the _thought_ of having her own out of her mind for a few extra years.”

“Mmm, we could use a cheap babysitter,” Sam teases.

“Oh, I don’t think you’re going to run into any shortage of those,” Janet replies as Teal’c holds Cassie upside down from his shoulder while she lets out a squeal. She insisted she was getting too old for the Jaffa to toss her around like a ragdoll, but even at 18 she still loved it.

“I’m sure,” Sam agrees with a soft smile as she watches the three of them before clearing her throat, “Um, I’ve been meaning to ask you…”

“What’s up?” Janet asks as she turns her attention away from the group and more to Sam.

“Have you put any ‘protections’ in place for Cassie? If something were to happen to you.”

“Mmhm,” Janet nods, “Once the adoption was finalized I had a lawyer put together a trust for her regardless of if anything happens to me or not. I made sure she was listed as my beneficiary for all of my service benefits and updated my will. And made sure that you and Jack were listed as guardians in case something happened before she turned 18.”

“Do you still have that information?”

“Sure, I can bring it to you on Monday,” Janet nods, “Thinking about getting things set up already?”

“Ah, yeah…” Sam sighs, “We’ve been in ‘future’ mode a little bit lately. I got to thinking about it the other day and figured it was probably worth getting a head start on, hmm?”

“It can never be too late, unfortunately,” Janet shrugs.

“Alright, campers,” Jack breaks in, “Soup is on!”

“Thank goodness I am starving,” Daniel comments, taking the large bowl of pasta from Jack to put on the table. Sam takes the garlic bread and salad he passes across the counter to carry to the table as well before claiming a seat. He makes sure to turn the burners and oven off before tossing the hand towel on his shoulder onto the counter and going to sit down next to Sam. The bowls and plates get passed around as everyone serves themselves before they’re returned to the middle of the table and everyone tucks in.

“So, what were you two up to during your afternoon off?” Janet asks with an arched eyebrow.

“How did you know we had the afternoon off?” Sam asks curiously. It wasn’t a secret but they had hardly advertised that they were going to be off base.

“He practically pushed to the front of the line for post mission physicals this afternoon. Said he had somewhere to be,” Janet indicates Jack with a grin as he glares at her. Sam twirls her pasta around her fork as she kicks her fiancé in the shin to get his attention.

“Ow, what?” He says, reaching down to rub his leg as he looks at her. She arches her eyebrow and nods her head towards everyone at the table, “Oh for crying out loud, go ahead and tell them, it’s not like they’re not going to figure it out eventually.”

“What’s going on?” Cassie asks with an arch to her eyebrow.

“Wait, wait, don’t tell us,” Daniel interrupts with a playful grin, “You’re pregnant.”

“Ha ha, Daniel,” Sam rolls her eyes.

“Seriously, what’s going on?” He asks, “Everything’s okay right?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” Sam assures their friends with a smile, “We closed on a house this afternoon.”

“And?” Jack prompts, “You’re leaving out the fun part.”

“Do you want to do this?”

“Yes,” Jack replies before grinning at their friends, “Somehow, I got her to agree to marry me.”

“What?” Daniel and Cassie exclaim at the same time as Janet’s eyes bug out, “You’re engaged?”

“Yeah,” Sam nods and reaches for a chain that disappeared under the neckline of her dress, retrieving the ring looped on it. She slips it on and wiggles her fingers to right it on her hand, “We were going to tell you guys tonight before _someone_ brought up that we were out this afternoon. It just seemed easier to do it when we were all going to be together, and we all know how rarely that happens at work these days.”

“Teal’c, you don’t seem too surprised,” Jack points out as the Jaffa continues to eat his dinner whilst their other guests endure a minor freakout.

“I viewed MajorCarter putting the ring on her necklace last week."

“And you didn’t say anything?!” Daniel asks looking over at his friend.

“It was not my news to share, DanielJackson,” Teal’c explains, “But you do have my full hearted congratulations on your betrothal.”

“Thank you, Teal’c,” Sam smiles.

“Yes, yes, congratulations!” Daniel nods.

“Yes, let me see the ring,” Janet requests. Sam reaches over Jack to show Janet the ring he’d gotten her. Cassie leans over from her seat to get a look as well.

"What kind of stone is it?" She asks, looking up at Jack with a slightly confused look on her face. Her eyebrow arches as he shrugs.

"Don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"Found it," He shrugs again, “On P8Y-627."

"So it's a custom piece?" Janet asks. Jack nods and scratches behind his ear, “Well it’s beautiful. Good job, Colonel.”

“Really good job,” Cassie chips in with an affirming nod before Sam pulls her hand back. She runs the nails of her other hand up and down Jack’s back slowly but discreetly, smiling at him softly. He winks at her before turning his attention back to dinner.


	13. Chapter 13

“How exactly did I get roped in to helping you move?” Daniel asks as he hauls boxes out of the moving truck and towards the house.

“We didn’t rope you into anything, you volunteered remember?” Sam tells him as he walks through the front door, pausing before ascending the stairs, “You did say if there was anything you could do to help.”

“People don’t actually mean that!” Daniel huffs as he sets the boxes down in the kitchen.

“Then don’t say it,” Sam grins cheekily before climbing the stairs to start easy unpacking that she could accomplish on her own. She listens to the grunts and grumbles (and occasional curses) from downstairs as she cuts into boxes of books and office supplies, focusing her attention on getting her office unpacked. By the time she's pulling computer cords apart and brandishing a packet of zip ties Jack yells upstairs that he was taking the moving truck back. She detours downstairs to make sure that everyone had something to drink before inquiring as to what they wanted for dinner. She makes her way back upstairs and picks up the cords again, grunting as she plops down on the floor to plug everything into the back of the tower.

“Sam!” Jack calls out as he returns from dropping off their moving truck. The group was sprawled out across the furniture in the living room, chugging down iced tea to rehydrate from their exertion.

“Still in the office!” She yells back.

“Did you order food yet?” Jack asks as he jogs up the stairs and rounds the bannister before he heads into her office. He breaks into a brisker pace as he sees her standing on a step stool putting books away in one of the built in bookcases in the room, “Hey! What are you doing?! Get down from there.”

“I’m putting away books, why?” Sam replies, emptying the load in her arms onto the shelf. She turns to look at him but her widened girth puts her at a disadvantage and her foot slips off of the step she was standing on. Jack quickly steps forward to catch her, grunting as he takes the brunt of her weight.

“That’s why,” Jack grumbles angrily glaring down at her.

“Sorry,” Sam replies as he rights her to stand on her own two feet, “And yes, I ordered food. It should be here soon, I think. They said 40 minutes when I called.”

“You shouldn’t be climbing anything,” Jack points out, “That’s what the guys are for.”

“They’re exhausted from moving and it was just a couple of steps.”

“And you almost fell. What if no one had been here?”

“Jack, you’re being dramatic.”

“Of course I’m being dramatic, you could have hurt yourself!” Jack snaps, “I know you think you can do everything but you can’t just be climbing things and crawling under motorcycles. You have to think about…”

“The baby, I know!” Sam snaps back pushing him back slightly from where he was crowding her, “Jesus, Jack…just go get Teal’c or someone to help me finish unpacking these.”

Jack storms off in a huff and Sam shakes her head as tears cloud her vision. She sniffles and goes to open another box before starting to take books out and put them on the lower shelves. A few moments later she hears heavy footsteps approaching the room, looking up and offering Teal’c a weak smile.

“Hey Teal’c.”

“MajorCarter, is something the matter?”

“No, no, I’m fine,” Sam reaches up and wipes her face before indicating a stack of boxes, “Would you mind putting these on the top few shelves?”

“Not at all,” Teal’c nods his head slightly before opening the top box and starting to help Sam put the books away. Once they’re finished filling the book cases Teal’c breaks the boxes down and escorts Sam back downstairs. The doorbell rings when they reach the bottom of the stairs and she indicates where he can put the boxes before moving to answer the door. She greets the delivery person before taking a moment to search for her purse and grab her wallet. She pulls out enough cash to cover the order and leave a healthy tip before taking the bags and carrying them to the kitchen.

“Food’s here!” Sam calls out as she sets the bags on the table, going to look for the box that had their place settings inside. She cuts the box open and digs out enough plates for everyone to eat before she unpacks the bags and opens up the containers as people start to lumber in, “Help yourselves guys, there’s plenty to go around.”

The group passes the containers around as they fill their plates before pulling up chairs to the table and starting to eat. Sam encourages them to just toss everything into the sink once they’re done before they make their way around the house to arrange the furniture. Jack lets Sam take over on deciding where everything should go. By the time they get everything in place the doorbell is ringing again. As Jack answers the door Sam thanks everyone for coming over and helping.

“You have more furniture?” Janet asks as she sees a delivery truck sitting out front with a local furniture store’s name on the side.

“Ah, yeah,” Sam smiles as Jack follows the delivery men outside to the truck, “We decided to get a new bedroom set since we were going to put everything else in the guest rooms…”

“Gonna break it in tonight?” Janet wiggles her eyebrows at Sam.

“Not if someone’s attitude doesn’t change,” Sam rolls her eyes before hugging Janet, “Thank you for helping.”

“No problem,” Janet assures her, “I’ll see you on Monday?”

“Yeah,” Sam nods before walking her out where Daniel and Teal’c were waiting by Daniel’s car, “Have a good night guys.”

“Night, Sam,” Daniel offers one last wave before the three of them pile into the car to head back to the base. Sam makes her way back inside and to the kitchen, starting to pack away the leftovers. She eyeballs the box of chicken and broccoli as she goes to close it before giving up and grabbing a fork. She sinks down into one of the chairs and starts to eat directly out of the box as she listens to the steps up and down the stairs as their bedroom furniture gets moved in.

Sam continues to pick through the box at a leisurely pace until she hears the front door close and the lock turn. She looks up as Jack appears in the doorway to the kitchen a few moments later, leaning against the doorjamb as he takes his hat off and leaves his hair to stick up every which direction. She doesn’t say anything as she takes her next bite a little emphatically.

“Bedroom’s set up, just needs some sheets,” He lets her know as he squeezes the bill of the hat in his grip.

“You would probably find those in the box marked ‘sheets’ that’s in the bedroom.”

“Oh come on, Sam,” Jack whines as he realizes she’s mad at him. Sam tosses her fork into the almost empty box and sets it down on the table, glaring at her fiancé.

“Don’t ‘come on’ me, Jack.”

“You could have hurt yourself,” He reiterates.

“And I don’t need you treating me like an idiot every time I try to do something I could have done before I got pregnant,” Sam snaps back, “I’m still figuring this out. And I could hurt myself doing a lot of things. That doesn’t mean I’m just going to wrap myself in bubble wrap and call it a day until I give birth.”

“But you coulda…”

“Jack,” Sam interrupts, her eyes narrowing.

“Just…try to be more careful?” Jack suggests, knowing he was treading on extremely thin ice.

“I’ll be more careful if you stop being such a bastard when I’m not,” Sam counters.

“I’m not being a bastard.”

“Yes, you are.”

“I’m not going to win this, am I?”

“Not if you think there’s something to win,” Sam grins cheekily with an undertone of frustration. She stands up and grabs her fork out of the box she’d been snacking out of and finishes putting the leftovers away before rinsing off the dishes in the sink and putting them in the dishwasher. She wipes off her hands and turns around to face Jack again, finding him still leaning in the doorway, “I am going to put sheets on the bed and dig out enough stuff to take a shower and then I’m going to lay down. I'm exhausted.”

“Okay,” Jack nods and pushes himself into a standing position. Sam pats him on the stomach as she passes before climbing the stairs. Once in the bedroom she opens the box of sheets and pulls out the top sheet set, starting to make the bed. She unfolds blankets after getting the sheets and pillow cases on, finishing up her task before going to look for the bathroom box and some clothes to change into. 

Unpacking some towels and their bathroom essentials Sam unzips a suitcase filled with clothes and gets her pajamas and some clean underwear out. She indulges herself in a long shower before getting out and wrapping herself in a towel, her skin pink from the heat of the water. She wrings her hair out and dries off before getting dressed in the nightgown she’d pulled out. She hefts the comically large pregnancy pillow Janet had suggested she try onto the bed and collapses onto the mattress with a groan before wrapping her body around it and sighing happily. 

Sam lays contently for a few moments before looking around and yelling out for Jack. She can hear his footsteps clamoring up the steps from downstairs before he appears in their bedroom doorway.

“Hi,” She greets.

“Hi,” Jack replies, standing in silence for a few moments before speaking again, “Did you need something?”

“TV remote?” She requests with a pleading look in her eyes. Jack gives her a look before walking over to the TV and grabbing the remote off of the top. He brings it over to her and holds it out for her to grab. She reaches a little bit further than the remote and grabs his hand, pulling him closer to her. The remote gets removed from his hand and discarded on the bed behind her before she pulls him down forcefully and gives him a kiss. Jack lets out an interested hum and kisses her back softly, the two of them only breaking apart when Sam pulls away to speak, “Thank you. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Jack replies.

“Will you shower and get in bed with me?” She requests, plucking softly at his t-shirt, “We have the weekend to unpack.”

“Mmm, what’s in it for me?”

“You don’t have to sleep on the couch.”

“We have three guest rooms.”

“I’d still make sure you put you on the couch,” Sam laughs. Jack shakes his head with a grin playing on his lips.

“I should have known you’d give me a run for my money.”

“Isn’t that why you asked me to marry you?”

“Oh yeah,” Jack nods, “Definitely.”

“That’s what I thought,” Sam replies before shoving him away, “Go shower.”

“Yes ma’am,” Jack winks before attempting to find his own clothes on his way to the bathroom. He returns a few minutes later freshly showered dressed just in gym shorts, the waistband hanging off of his hips. Sam gives him a once over before patting the bed. He climbs in behind her and holds the remote out once again. She shuffles back against his chest and turns the tv on with a small yawn. He brushes her hair back and presses his lips to her shoulder as he wraps an arm around her waist.

By the end of the weekend the two of them have the house unpacked and Jack puts the few remaining boxes into storage in the basement before they decide to go to the grocery store to restock their supplies, having already been low on groceries before they moved. Jack teases Sam each time she throws something unhealthy into the cart, but stands shoulder to shoulder with her as they eyeball the ice cream selection.

“Will you rub my feet when we get home?” She asks, as her eyes dart between the Ben and Jerry’s and the half gallon of seasonal peppermint.

“What does that have to do with ice cream?”

“Nothing, but my feet hurt,” She answers as she steps forward, pulling both off the shelves, “What do you want?”

“Phish Food and…raspberry chocolate?”

“Good choice,” She says as she pulls his selections out.

“Do we need all of this ice cream?”

“Yes,” She nods seriously before winking at him and starting to push the cart again. By the time they leave the store they have their regular groceries along with quite a few bags of potato chips, two family size containers of Oreos, and almost three half gallons of ice cream, along with a jar of pickles Sam had insisted was not to go to with any of the ice cream. They get the groceries loaded into the back of the car before Jack puts the cart back as Sam climbs in. She lets out a laugh as she catches a glimpse of all of the bags in the storage area while the two of them get buckled in and he looks at her with an arched eyebrow.

“What?”

“We’re just going to have to do this all over again next weekend for Thanksgiving,” Sam tells him as she lets out another giggle before sitting back in her seat.

“Oy, how much more could we need?”

“We are feeding…five people and a Teal’c,” She explains, “We’re gonna need some more food. And we should probably get a turkey, just a thought.”

“Whatever you say, dear.”

Jack starts the car before backing out of their parking space and starting to head back towards home. He reaches over when they stop at a light and puts his hand on Sam’s stomach, patting it softly. She takes his hand in hers as the light turns green and he starts to pull forward.

“It’s not a Buddha belly you know, you don’t get…” Sam’s teasing comment is cut off at the screech of tires on concrete before the crunch of metal and busting of glass. Jack grunts as the car stops moving only because they had run into a power pole. His head gets thrown against the driver's side window one more time for good measure and he blinks frantically trying to clear his vision. His hand lashes out towards the passenger seat, flinging around a few times before he finds Sam's arm.

"Sam..." He swats at her arm a couple times as he continues to try and clear his vision, "Sam!"

Jack reaches up to rub his eye before looking over, seeing her slumped against the passenger side door, her head resting against the glass with a decent sized gash on her hairline. They had impacted the pole on her side and he could see the door was slightly caved in. He curses under his breath before fighting to get his seatbelt off and get out of the car. The other driver had impacted the rear of the car on his side and from what he can tell they had been lucky the car didn't get flung over but had only tailed out into the pole. He stumbles slightly as he makes his way around to Sam's side. He grabs the handle and pulls on it a few times, getting no give from the door to get it open. He pounds his fist against the glass a couple times, trying to get her to wake up.

Jack curses when he continues to get no response from her. He can already hear sirens approaching, looking up as cop cars pull up before two ambulances and a fire truck pull up the rear. He waves off the medics that try to attend to him as he stands close by, waiting for the rescue crew to pry Sam out of the car. Once they get the door open the medics get her onto a back board before moving her to a gurney, taking her towards one of the ambulances. He can see the driver of the other car being treated for his injuries at the second ambulance and tamps down the want to throttle the man as he digs out his phone from his pocket. He punches in a familiar phone number before holding the phone to his ear.

"Get me Doctor Fraiser, _now_ ," Jack growls down the line. He covers the mouthpiece as he waits, calling out to the medics, "She needs to go to the Academy Hospital."

"St. Mary's is the closest ER, sir."

"She goes to the Academy, it's another five minutes," Jack tells them in a commanding tone. He pulls his hand away from the phone as he hears Janet's voice come through.

"Doctor Fraiser," She answers in a soft tone.

"I need you to get over to the Academy Hospital," Jack tells her, "We got a problem."

"What's going on?" Janet replies, her tone more serious. He can hear shuffling in the background knowing that she was jumping into action to get what she needed together to make her way over to the hospital.

"We were at the store and we got into a car accident, they hit the-the-the rear of the car and we hit a pole," Jack describes, "Sam's unconscious. I think she smacked her head pretty hard against the window."

"Let me talk to the medics," Janet requests and Jack hands his phone over after they load the gurney up into the back, getting ready to leave the scene. He climbs up after one of the medics and plops down onto the small bench that was available, taking Sam's hand in his while being careful of the IV they already had running. He keeps holding her hand until they make it to the hospital and she's unloaded in the emergency bay. Janet was already there at the ready with a pack of nurses and two other doctors he didn't recognize. He follows behind them, not letting go of Sam until Janet redirects him with one of the doctors and a nurse towards an open bed in the emergency room, "Get him checked out."

"Doc!" Jack exclaims.

"I'll come get you when she's settled," Janet tells him with a pointed look before she and Sam disappear behind closed doors. It doesn't take too long for the doctor to diagnose him with a mild concussion, leaving him to pace as he waits for Janet to come out and get him. He keeps glancing at the clock but it's close to an hour before he sees the doctor again, her block heels thunking against the tile as she approaches him with a thick folder and a chart in her grasp. She nods towards the doors she'd just come through, waving her hand at him, "Come on."

"How's she doing?" Jack asks as he follows along next to her while he's led into the labyrinth of hospital rooms and corridors.

"She's still out," Janet tells him, "She has a pretty serious concussion, not the worst she's had though. Good news is that there's no evidence of brain bleeds or skull fractures. The cut on her head needed some stitches and she's got the slightest fracture to her cheekbone. She's going to have some pretty serious bruising from the seat belt as well as on her hip and thigh where the door crunched into her side. And it looks like some plastic or something broke, gashed her a little deep in the leg but we got it stitched up."

"What about the baby?" Jack asks as they turn a corner and climb a flight of stairs up to the next floor.

"Everything internally is okay and intact. No abruptions or fluid leaks. No contractions or preterm labor..."

"But?"

"The fetus _is_ in distress. We've gotten Sam's blood pressure and heart rate stabilized, but fetal heart rate is lingering in the tachycardic area still."

"What does that mean?" Jack asks.

"It's heart rate is elevated above normal levels and it's not coming back down," Janet explains before pushing the door open to a room. Sam was in bed and laid out on her left side with a few IVs running into the back of her hand, "We have her hooked up to a fetal monitor and we'll keep an eye on things to see how they're improving."

"What if it doesn't improve?" Jack asks.

"We have a couple things we can try," Janet tells him as he approaches the bed and brushes Sam's hair back from her face, softly fingering the cut on her forehead and the bruise forming on her cheek.

"But something could still happen to him," Jack states, looking back at Janet.

"It's a possibility," She admits in a softer tone, "My medical opinion, though, is that things will even out and both of them will be fine, it's still relatively soon after the accident and it was pretty jarring. But we've already seen some mild improvement. Sit with her while I go make a couple of phone calls and then I'll be back. She's my top priority right now, so I'm sticking around to keep an eye on things."

"Thanks Doc," Jack replies, pulling up one of the chairs next to Sam's bed before pressing a kiss to her knuckles as he studies her face. Over the next few hours Janet continues to pop in and out of the room to check on Sam and the baby. He thinks it's almost every twenty minutes, but loses track of time quickly as he waits for her to wake up. He looks up and realizes he's on hour four the next time he hears Janet come in and smells the strong odor of coffee. She holds a cup out to him and takes a sip of her own before holding out the print out from the monitor strapped around Sam's stomach. The paper was beginning to pile up on the floor as Janet insisted on a continuous monitoring stream instead of spot checking.

"It's not quite back in normal ranges yet, but almost there," She tells him, hopeful.

"That's good," Jack says as he swallows almost half of the tiny cup of coffee in one gulp, wincing slightly as it burns on the way down, "Any idea how long she's going to be out?"

"If she's still out an hour from now I might take her down to do another CT, just to check on everything," She admits, "You need anything?"

"No," Jack shakes his head, "But thanks."

"Alright," She nods. He's surprised when she pats him on the shoulder before leaving but doesn't say anything. Janet keeps coming in and checking the spool, keeping him informed that the baby's heart rate was almost back in the acceptable range. Jack finds himself so lost in thought that he almost doesn't hear the hum stuck in his fiancée's throat or feel her hand twitch under his. The second time her hand moves it's more like an actual squeeze and he gets up from his seat, leaning over the bed more.

"Sam? Come on, babe...you gotta wake up," He tells her, squeezing her hand back. He brushes her hair back from her face again and cradles the back of her head in his hand, "Sam..."

He can see her eyes moving frantically under the lids and continues to talk softly to her, hoping the sound will entrance her enough to get her to open her eyes. The grip on his hand gets a little stronger as her blue eyes flutter open before wincing and closing again.

"Bright," She whispers with a dry throat. He reaches up and turns off the overhead light that was directly above her bed, taking the time to also press the call button.

"Better?" He asks as he reaches for the water cup next to her bed and brings it closer to her. She tests opening her eyes once again and nods slowly before wrapping her lips around the straw in the cup and taking a small sip. She takes a deep breath as her mind starts to catch up with the situation and her grip becomes stronger.

"What happen'd?" She mumbles as a look of discomfort settles on her face.

"Car accident," Jack tells her before setting the cup down. He looks up as Janet hotfoots her way into the room, a smile on her face as she sees Sam awake.

"Hey you," She greets in a soothing tone, "How are you feeling?"

"Hurts," Sam replies.

"I'll see what I can do about your pain meds while I'm in here," Janet assures her. She presses the button to raise the bed up a little bit so Sam's in a more upright position before nudging Jack out of the way. She pulls her pen light out and checks her pupillary reaction, apologizing as she jerks away from the light, "So definitely some photosensitivity. Can you tell me your name?"

"Samantha Carter," Sam answers as Janet puts her stethoscope into her ears before starting to listen to Sam's lungs and heart.

"What about the date?"

"November, um, November 13th."

"And the President?" Janet asks as she wraps her scope back around her neck.

"Hayes."

"Good," Janet smiles, "Headache?"

"Oh yeah."

"You've got a pretty rough concussion," Janet explains before detailing her other injuries.

"Is the baby okay?" Sam asks as she rubs her eyes, looking up at Jack's stoic face before looking at Janet.

"The baby's fine," Janet assures her, "Heart rate was elevated for a little while, but it's almost in the normal range."

"Thank God," She murmurs, "Can I lay on my back?"

"I'd like to keep you like this for about another hour, but then we'll get you moved, okay?" Janet explains before Sam nods in agreement.

"How long do I have to stay?"

"First guess, a few days. And you're going to stay here instead of getting transferred to the SGC. There's more I can do for you here if something goes wrong than I can there, alright?"

"Yeah."

"Now how about you tell me about your pain levels," Janet prompts as they go back and forth a few times before she adjusts Sam's medication and provides a direct injection into her IV line, "That should take the edge off for a bit. I'll be in and out to check on you."

"Thanks, Jan," Sam whispers, her eyes starting to droop. Jack takes his seat again after Janet leaves, leaning forward enough to press a kiss to Sam's forehead. She lets out a slightly dopey smile and her hand reaches up to pat him on the side of the head, "Hi."

"Hi."

"You okay?"

"Better," He tells her before kissing her on the lips, "Get some rest, that's an order."

"You can't order me around any more," Sam tells him, her speech slurred a bit more as she gives in to the drugs. Jack strokes her hair until she falls back to sleep. He continues his vigil until he hears someone knock on the door.

“Mr. O’Neill?” Two police officers stick their heads in the door, looking directly at Jack. He stands up from the chair and wipes his palms off on his jeans before walking over.

“Yeah?”

“We’d like to talk to you about the accident earlier,” One of the officers explains.

“Sure, let's go into hallway,” Jack replies, offering a look back to Sam before stepping out with them. By the time they finish their conversation Janet passes them in the hallway on her way back.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, just coming to talk about the accident,” Jack shakes his head and scrubs his hands over his eyes with a groan, “Um, I need to take care of a few things. I hate to ask but do you mind if I use your car?”

“No, of course not,” Janet shakes her head, digging her car keys out of her lab coat pocket, handing them to Jack.

“Do you mind…” He gestures towards Sam’s room.

“I will sit with her until you get back,” Janet smiles.

“Thanks,” Jack gives the keys a short toss before heading towards the exit. He returns a couple hours later with Sam’s purse and a tote bag filled with things for her. He finds Janet curled up in the chair he’d been sitting in, working on a crossword that was attached to her clipboard. She was occasionally throwing out clues to the blonde in the bed who had been moved onto her back and was sitting up a little bit more than when he had left.

“Quark science,” Janet offers while filling out the previous word.

“Physics,” Jack answers as he sets Sam’s stuff down before leaning over the railing of the bed to kiss her, “How you doing?”

“Okay,” She murmurs softly, “Where’d you go?”

“I had to go get our stuff out of the car and I went home to pack you a bag.”

“Mmm, how bad was it?” She asks.

“The guy hit the back of the car, your side hit a power pole. The insurance guy already wrote it off as totaled,” Jack replies, a dark look in his eyes, “If it had happened a second sooner I don’t know that we’d be having this conversation.”

Sam reaches up and strokes his cheek, offering him a tired but reassuring smile, “I’m gonna be okay.”

“I know,” He turns his head to kiss the palm of her hand, “Most of the groceries were trash. I took home the dry stuff, but tossed everything that was refrigerated basically. Ice cream was completely melted.”

“What a waste."

“How’s the baby?” Jack asks Janet as he straightens up.

“Much better,” Janet smiles as she stands, “Heart rate is back to normal and has been holding pretty steady since you left. I did another ultrasound and everything still looked good so I turned off the continuous monitor and the nurses will just spot check as they come in.”

“That’s good,” Jack nods, feeling a small weight lifted off his shoulders.

“I am going to step out, go pick up Cass, and get her fed. The nurses know to contact me if there’s any change in your condition before I get back in the morning. And Doctor Matheson is going to be here over the night shift to give you your pain meds, okay?”

“Yeah,” Sam nods, “Thanks, Janet.”

“Seriously, thank you for coming over,” Jack tells her as he hands her keys back over.

“Not a problem at all,” Janet assures him, “Don’t stay here all night, okay?”

“Sure, Doc,” Jack nods, but Janet could see he had no intention of leaving. He takes his seat again after she leaves and Sam sighs as she turns her head to look at him.

"How are you doing?" She asks.

"I'm fine, small concussion was all they said. Joints are a little stiff, but nothing some over the counter stuff won't fix," Jack assures her.

"Good," She smiles, "What'd you bring me?"

"Just some pajamas and your purse. I grabbed that book that was on your bedside table, but I don't know that you're going to feel up for reading."

"No," Sam shakes her head, "Probably not for a while. Though I could do to get out of this damn gown."

"We'll have to ask the doctor when he comes in later."

"Mmm," Sam hums and stretches her ankles out with a wince, "Am I allowed to say I'm already tired of laying in this bed?"

"Sure," Jack grins. Sam laughs softly and reaches out to wrap his hand in hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder that I'm not a doctor and there's only so much Google can teach me :D


	14. Chapter 14

Sam ends up spending three days in the hospital before she's released to come home. Janet tells her that she'll stop by to check on her progress every couple of days, but insists that she's to be off of work for at least two weeks. She spends the first two days puttering around the house while listening to classical music. She manages to read a little bit each day before the words stop making sense and her head starts to hurt. The crossword puzzle she pulls out of the paper the first day she’s home takes her almost two full days to finish, leaving her sitting at the kitchen table rubbing her forehead. She was getting bored fast, and she didn't do well with being bored.

Sam sighs and pushes back from the table before going in search of their phonebook. She pulls it out and flips through the pages until she gets to the local cab companies, calling one to pick her up at the house. She takes the time while she's waiting to change into something more presentable to leave the house in. She grabs her purse when she hears the crunch of the gravel outside and walks out the front door, making sure to lock it behind herself. She climbs into the back and gives the driver the address of a local nail salon that was downtown.

Once at the salon she pays him for the trip before climbing out and making her way inside. She asks for a manicure and a pedicure and spends a few minutes picking out the colors she wanted before she's seated in a pedicure massage chair, dunking her feet into the hot water. She turns on the massage function of the chair and closes her eyes with a happy sigh as the balls start to roll and press into her back. Deciding to go for the premium mani and pedi it takes her a little under two hours to get out of the salon. She pays her bill and leaves a healthy tip for both of the technicians before bundling up and heading back outside.

Taking a couple of minutes to look around the area she was in Sam spots what looks to be a sporting goods store on the corner. Her curiosity gets the best of her and she makes her way closer to the store, a smile spreading over her face as she notices that it specialized in hockey gear. She decides to push her way in, a bell dinging over the door. She greets the person working before starting to take a look around, finding a lot of gear spread out in one section before a wall of jerseys in the back catches her attention. She looks over the collection, realizing they have at least one jersey from every team in the league, including an impressive selection of Avalanche gear.

"Can I get anything down for you?" The clerk asks as he approaches Sam. The store was pretty quiet considering it was the middle of the day. There was only one other person in the store and they were picking out their gear without any questions.

"Ah, yeah," Sam indicates a jersey in the top row, "That one."

The clerk grabs a long hook on a stick and indicates the jersey he thinks she's pointed to. Sam nods with a smile.

"What size?" He asks.

"Um, large," Sam indicates. He flips through the rack the jerseys were hanging on before hooking one and bringing it down. She takes it off of the proffered hook and holds it up to take a look at before holding it up to her body to gauge the size. It was big enough to cover her belly and be a little snug now, but would be the perfect oversized jersey after she had the baby, "I'll take this one."

"Alright, anything else you needed today?"

"No, just this will do it," Sam shakes her head with a smile. She follows the clerk to the front register and pays for the jersey, thanking him as he hands the bag over. She makes her way out of the store and decides to hit a few others on the block before she ends up in a bakery. She picks out a few things from the case and adds the paper bag to the handful that she was carrying before patting her pockets down and finally realizing she didn't have her cell on her. She asks the bakery owner if she can use their phone real quick before calling another cab to get home. 

Sam's surprised to see two black SUVs in the driveway along with the rental car they were still using and Janet's car. The SUVs definitely did not belong to Jack but looked like they were from the fleet they had at Cheyanne instead. She distractedly thanks and pays the driver before grabbing her bags and getting out of the car, coming face to face with a particularly distraught looking Jack O'Neill as he practically wrenches the front door off it's hinges.

"Where have you been? I've been trying to get a hold of you for hours!"

"What? Why?" Sam asks, "What's even going on?"

"Janet came by at lunch to see how you were doing and you're nowhere to be found. Breakfast was still on the table and when she tried your cell it was still plugged in upstairs," Jack explains and she could hear the frustration in his voice, "So she calls me, asks me if I know where you are. I've got no idea, so I punch out and come home. And the dishes are still on the table and your cell's plugged in upstairs and the back door is _unlocked and opened_."

"So you jump to the conclusion I was _kidnapped_?" Sam replies, the dots finally starting to connect in her head.

"You don't _leave_ breakfast on the table, you don't _forget_ your cell phone, you _lock_ the door right behind me if I leave before you do," Jack retorts, "Of course I jumped to a couple conclusions. It's not like it's never happened before."

"It's not like I can drive so I called a cab and went downtown. I was bored out of my skull! I thought I'd go get my nails done. I got distracted by a couple of other stores while I was downtown," Sam explains, "No nefarious things going on. Just _girl_ stuff."

"Sam..." Jack says, exasperation seeping in.

"Yes, I know I usually clean up the dishes. I was picking at it until I decided to do something else. I haven't had to use my cell phone in a week, of course I forgot about it. And you left while I was in the shower, so yes, I didn't check the door. I'll blame the fact that it was open on you," Sam continues as she brushes past him and into the house. There were investigators digging all over their house, creating a mess as they went, earning a frustrated sigh out of her own mouth. They had just unpacked all of this and gotten everything where they wanted.

"So you're just saying that what? It was the perfect storm of events?”

"That is exactly what I'm saying," Sam replies to his sassy remark as she sets her bags on the table, "And if you don't get everyone out of our stuff, then I'm keeping the cake that I bought for you to myself."

The two stare each other down for a few moments, giving him a moment to see the real threat in her eyes, before Jack turns on his heel and calls out into the house, "All right boys and girls, false alarm, let’s move out!"

Sam thanks and apologizes to the group as they leave before she's left alone with just Jack and Janet.

"I am going to catch so much shit for this," Jack grumbles as he rubs his forehead in frustration. Both of the women look at each other before Sam sighs and puts her hand on his back, her eyes narrowing slightly as he jerks away from her.

"Jack..." Sam says in a quieter tone, trying to get him to look at her, "Look. I'm sorry you were worried. I totally forgot that Janet was coming over today and I just needed to get out…”

"I know, I know, I just..."

"Panicked?"

"I'm not supposed to panic," Jack rumbles and shakes his head, “Look, I gotta get back to the base."

"Okay," Sam nods and puts her hand back on his back before leaning up on her toes to kiss his cheek, "I'll see you later?"

"Yeah," Jack nods and gives her stomach a rub before heading out of the house, shutting the door behind himself. Sam heaves another sigh before looking at Janet and nodding towards the living room. She lets the doctor poke and prod her a little bit, answering her questions as they're asked.

"You seem like you're feeling better, physically at least,” Janet comments as she packs up.

"I can't read more than twenty pages in a sitting, I started the crossword the day I came home and I just finished it this morning," Sam replies frustrated, "Physically, yes, I am feeling better. But I can't just spend every day listening to music and staring at a wall!"

"Come in tomorrow?" Janet suggests, "I can take your stitches out, and maybe we can find something for you to do."

"Seriously?"

“Don’t expect that I’m just going to turn you loose in your lab. But I think we can find something,” Janet smiles, "Stitches need to come out regardless. Have the Colonel bring you with him in the morning."

"You'll tell him that I'm not trying to con him into getting back on the base?"

"I will make sure he knows," Janet assures her, "So where did you go?"

"Downtown," Sam replies and holds her hand up, wiggling her fingers, "Got my nails done."

"Nice color," Janet comments at the dusky rose color she'd chosen.

"You know it's been five years since the last time I got my nails painted? And five years ago when I did get them painted it was on a Friday night for a wedding I was in on Saturday and I had to take it off on Sunday night before I went in," Sam informs her before folding her hands into her lap and shrugging, "I went to some stores, did a little bit of shopping. Stopped at that bakery and got a cake. Just...normal things."

"A whole cake?"

"Jack likes cake. And I wouldn't turn down a slice right now either," Sam lets out a soft laugh before her face turns serious, "You don't think he's too upset, do you?"

"With you? I don't think he's upset with you at all. I think he's upset with himself for what's probably going to be looked at as an overreaction," Janet replies honestly, "You know he has always worried about you. I think your relationship and the impending bundle of joy is making him a little more protective than normal, and that's clouding his judgement when it comes to you."

"He knows I can handle myself."

"And yet that doesn't stop the primitive regions of their brain from lighting up like Christmas when they're around a fertile, pretty girl," Janet teases, shouldering her bag, "Don't overthink it. I'll see you tomorrow okay?"

"Yeah, thanks Jan," Sam says as she pushes herself up off the couch, walking the doctor outside. She takes a deep breath of the chilly air before closing the door and surveying the damage around her. She lets out a small groan before starting to pick up the house. By the time she's finished she decides to get started on dinner. 

As Sam makes her way towards the stereo system she reaches back and deftly twists her hair into a french braid before securing the end with a hair tie. She flips through their music selection and switches out the CDs in the player before pressing play and turning the stereo up. She makes her way into the kitchen and grabs the small recipe box sitting on the shelf next to the few (literally three) cookbooks that they owned. Jack told her that his grandmother had given it to him after he'd graduated from the Academy so he had a copy of his favorite dishes to cook for himself. She'd actually found it in a box marked junk that was in his storage area at the old house, guessing it probably ended up there after he'd moved out of his and Sara's house.

Sam flips through the cards, looking at their titles before pulling out one for macaroni and cheese that sounded good to her, and seemed to be one of Jack's favorites from how well worn the card was compared to the others. She closes the box and puts it back before reading over the recipe and starting to get down the things she needed. She easily finds herself lost in food prep as she hums along to the music floating through the air until she gets everything into the oven. She sets the table they had in the kitchen before going to grab the cake and put it on the table as well. She grabs the rest of her bags and makes sure she has the timer set before climbing the stairs to their bedroom. 

Most of the clothing items get tossed into the laundry after their tags are removed, but she leaves a couple of things out on the dresser top. She adds a couple of items to her one of her shelves in the bathroom before she breaks down the bags and takes them back downstairs with her to put in the recycling. She checks on the food in the oven before starting to clean up the dishes she had already used. By the time she's cleaned up and loaded the dishwasher the timer is dinging just as the back door opens.

Sam gets the casserole dish out first and sets it directly onto a waiting hot pad on the table before grabbing the sheet pan of roasted vegetables out. She uses her knee to close the oven and after setting the sheet pan down she turns it off. She takes the time to put the veggies into a bowl, setting it on the table as she smiles at Jack when he steps through into the kitchen.

"Hey!"

"Hey," Jack greets, leaning down to kiss her as she makes her way over. Sam wraps her arms around him as she presses her lips to his. She hums and tugs him closer as he moves to break away a moment later, wanting to indulge for a few seconds herself. She pulls away once she gets her fill and smiles softly at him, "That's a nice welcome home."

"I do try," Sam winks before stepping back, "Dinner still needs to cool a little bit if you want to wash up."

"I will take you up on that," Jack offers a slight smile before walking through the kitchen and heading to the downstairs bathroom. Sam finishes getting dinner ready and plops down into her chair with a bit of an oomph before smiling at Jack when he comes back in. Her hand brushes his arm as he steps past her to get to the fridge, pouring a glass of milk for himself before sinking into the chair next to his fiancée.

"I thought there was some beer left in the fridge."

"There is, just not in the mood," Jack shrugs before leaning forward and surveying their dinner offering, "What did you make?"

"Uh, mac and cheese and the only vegetables I can get you to eat," Sam teases, "Oh, and the cake I got earlier for dessert."

"What kind?"

"Chocolate," She informs him.

"Nice," Jack appraises before reaching out for the spoon that was in the mac and cheese. He gives it a suspecting sniff as he pulls out a large scoop and goes to put it on his plate.

"I know I'm not a great cook but did you just sniff the mac and cheese?"

"Did you make my grandmother's recipe?"

"Yeah, I found the recipe box when we were unpacking," Sam says with a furrow in her brow, "It was the most used card in the box, I figured it was your favorite."

"It was...is," Jack replies as he puts the scoop on his plate before getting some of the roasted vegetables she'd made, "It is. I just haven't had it in a while."

"Well it _was_ in a box of 'junk' when we were unpacking," Sam says as she serves herself. She pushes back from the table and steps over to the fridge, digging out a bottle of hot sauce before sitting back down. After shaking some out over her mac and cheese she offers the bottle to Jack, setting it on the table when he shakes his head. After a few moments of him stoically staring at the blob of mac and cheese she rubs her hand up his back with a frown, “Are you okay?”

“It’s just been…a day,” Jack shrugs before spearing his first bite and stuffing it in his mouth. After he swallows he grabs another forkful, “You did a good job with this.”

“Thanks,” Sam replies in a quiet tone. She pulls her hand back before starting to eat herself. The two eat in relative silence until Jack finishes. He gets up and rinses off his plate before putting it and his fork into the dishwasher. He puts a hand on Sam’s shoulder and leans down to kiss her temple.

“I’m going out back, okay?”

“Sure,” Sam nods watching him slip out the back door after pulling on a jacket. She gives him time as she finishes her own dinner and gets everything cleaned up, leaving the cake on the counter next to the bread. Turning the dishwasher on Sam grabs her own sweater before stepping out onto the patio, searching for Jack as her eyes adjust to the darkness. She notices his figure sitting on the far side of the wall that lined the patio off from the yard, a stream of smoke billowing up and disappearing into the sky, “Dare I ask what junk box you found those in?”

Jack laughs and stubs out the butt in his hand on the stone before pulling another cigarette out and immediately lighting it. He takes a deep inhale to get the smolder going before exhaling the smoke and looking back at her, “Tool box.”

“Mmm, wouldn’t have found those until spring,” Sam comments as she steps closer to him, her nostrils filling with cool air and fresh tobacco smoke. She picks the pack up and flips the lid open to only find approximately a quarter of them missing. There were only two stubbed out butts next to Jack and the one in his fingers, “How long since the last time?”

“Ehhh it’s been a few years,” Jack shrugs, expertly flicking some ash off the end before taking another long inhale. Sam puts the small box back down before climbing up onto the wall next to him, leaving a bit of space between their bodies.

“I know this usually works so well, but…wanna talk about it?” Sam asks. Jack laughs as he exhales.

“You’re right that usually goes over _so_ well,” He replies with a grin on his face.

“Can’t ever work if I don’t ask.”

“That’s very true,” Jack agrees. He finishes the cigarette he was working on and stubs it out with the others before picking up the pack again. Instead of pulling another out he stuffs the lighter into the box and closes the lid, setting it down between them, “I overreacted this morning and panicked. Hammond doesn’t blame me though, after all things have happened, but…”

“But?”

“He suggested maybe leaving a note next time,” Jack drawls as he looks over at her, a small grin on his face.

“Maybe I’ll do that,” Sam laughs softly.

“I don’t like overreacting and panicking,” Jack admits after a beat.

“Not to sound like a bitch, but I didn’t ask you to,” Sam replies, “I am a big girl, Jack. Just because I retired doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten everything I’ve spent the last almost twenty years doing every damn day. I get that you worry, and I appreciate that you do. I would and will do anything within my power to protect our baby, you know that.”

“I do know that.”

“So relaaaxxx,” Sam tells him as she reaches over and rubs her hand up and down his back. 

“I wish it was that simple,” Jack lets out a mirthless laugh. Sam shuffles closer and presses her cheek to his shoulder as she shifts her grip, scraping her nails back and forth along his lower back gently.

“What else?” Sam prompts, still feeling the tension in his frame.

“Dinner really was great,” He tells her, “And I appreciate that you even thought to make my favorite.”

“But?” Sam prompts once again.

“The reason the card was so worn,” Jack explains after taking a deep breath, “Is because Sara used to make it a lot. It was…”

“…Charlie’s favorite too,” Sam finishes as Jack nods in confirmation.

“Yeah,” He shrugs, “Surprisingly though she hated it.”

“Who hates macaroni and cheese?” Sam asks with a laugh.

“My ex-wife apparently,” Jack shakes his head, “I never understood it either.”

The two sit in silence for a while longer until Sam shivers as the cold starts to seep its way in. She slips down from the wall and stands in between Jack’s legs, resting her hands on his thighs as she tips her head back to look up at him.

“Are we good?”

“We’re always good,” Jack tells her before hopping down himself. He gathers his trash and the pack of cigarettes, telling her to go inside as he makes his way to the garage. He stores the pack away in his secret spot and tosses the butts into the trash before going back inside. He hangs up his jacket and takes his boots off before stepping into the kitchen. Sam was waiting for him with a plate of chocolate cake and two forks, nodding towards the stairs.

“Come on,” She says, not waiting for him before she starts to make her way upstairs. Jack makes sure the door is locked before following close behind her, torn between eyeballing the cake in her hands or her ass as she climbs the stairs. Once in their bedroom she sets the cake down on her bedside table along with the forks before turning her attention on him, “Sit.”

“Sit?”

“Yes please,” She waves her hand at the end of the bed, gesturing for him to sit down before going to grab the purchases she’d left on the dresser top. Jack takes a seat on the bed, pulling his legs up to sit cross legged as he watches her with curiosity, “So I got a few things while I was shopping. Well more than a few, but I wanted to show you these.”

“Whatcha got?” Jack asks. Sam turns around and holds up a long sleeved onesie that was dark blue and covered in little white stars of different sizes.

“Baby’s first outfit,” Sam tells him as she holds it out to him with a smile. Jack laughs and takes it from her, tilting his head as he holds it out in front of her stomach.

“Looks a little big.”

“I’m sure she’ll grow into it,” Sam grins. Jack folds the tiny piece of clothing up and drapes it over his knee.

“Good purchase,” He compliments, “What about the other one?”

“This one is for you,” Sam pre-empts before turning around to pull it off of the dresser. He watches as she shakes the item out, getting a flash of maroon as her arms move. Sam turns around and shows him the Minnesota Wild jersey she’d purchased for herself, “Well technically it’s for me, but the intent is for you.”

“Niiiiice,” Jack grins.

“I thought you might like that,” Sam replies, playfully tossing the jersey in his face, “I also got us tickets to a game at the beginning of next month. The Wild are in town playing the Avalanche.”

“I might come around to you shopping,” Jack admits with a small smile. She tosses the two items into the hamper before stepping closer to him and raking her nails gently over his thighs with a soft sigh.

“I was thinking…”

“When are you not?” He grins, hissing as she digs her nails into his knees. She chuckles and pulls her hands away.

“I don’t know that I feel like doing dinner next week. I mean we can have everyone over still, but maybe we just order pizza or something. I was a little more up to it when I suggested it but with the accident I just feel like doing the whole shebang with the turkey and everything seems…”

“Like a lot of work?”

“Yeah,” She breathes. Jack reaches up and brushes a loose strand of hair behind her ear, his shoulder shrugging upwards.

“We can do whatever you want. We don’t even have to have anyone over, we can just veg out on the couch.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” He nods before kissing her. Sam slips her hands back up his thighs and wraps them around his waist as she kisses him back. She grins against his mouth as his fingers get tangled in the back of her hair, trapped in her braid.

“Need some help?” She murmurs.

“That would be appreciated,” He nods. She reaches up and tugs the hair tie out of the end, pulling at his hand to undo the plaits gently, “Much better.”

“How much time do you have off next week?”

“Ah, barring any planetary emergencies, Hammond’s giving us Thursday through the weekend,” He replies as he massages his fingers along her scalp before moving them down to her neck, “What’s on your mind?”

“Cabin? Once you leave work on Wednesday. We could drive.”

“That’s an 18 hour drive, little lady. I don’t think you’re in the best condition to do that in one go,” Jack arches his eyebrow, “Don’t get me wrong it’s a nice drive and we’ll do it some time. Maybe once the baby’s here and we have enough time that we can take our time.”

“I’d like that,” She smiles softly, “I’ve never really seen ‘middle America’.”

“No?”

“No, I’ve spent almost my entire life on a coast, I think I've maybe switched planes at O'Hare once. When I was growing up we didn’t really move all that much, but we did move. I was born in Santa Barbara and Dad was posted at Vandenberg until I was two. Then we seemed to bounce back and forth between DC and here, except for two years in Ramstein. I went to the Academy, I got my masters at Cal Tech, and my PhD at Princeton,” She recounts, looking up at the ceiling as she recounts where she had been in her life, “I trained at Laughlin, flew out of Al Kharj, and besides a year in Europe for research I spent my time at the Pentagon. Before I fell in love with this silly flyboy from Chicago, the Midwest simply held no interest to me.”

“I _have_ read your personnel file.”

“Oh, _that_ you read.”

“Oh yeah, hot blonde scientist from California…how could I resist?” He replies and she laughs softly, "If we pack Tuesday night I can meet you at the airport to make that flight to Duluth on Wednesday. You’re good to fly right?"

“Yeah, least a little while longer,” She nods, “Will you…would you mind telling Daniel and Teal’c?”

“No, no, I’ll mention it tomorrow,” Jack assures her as he slips off the edge of the bed and stands up, “I’m gonna go make a phone call to see if Ed can open up for us next week so we don’t freeze our asses off the first five hours we’re there. I’ll meet you back here in 15 to share that cake?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Sam smiles. He presses a kiss to her forehead before leaving their room and making his way downstairs. She gets changed for bed and goes through her regular routine before stepping out into the hall and making her way towards her office. She pauses as she hears Jack on the phone, moving closer to the banister.

“…Yeah, I’ll put a hide-a-key out in front…You’re sure you don’t mind working over the holiday?…I know I’m paying a premium for it, just thought I’d ask…Ah, those can wait. I don’t need them until December, they’re a Christmas present. I mean whenever you’re done, I’ll take them. They’re just not a rush…I’ll leave a check for everything…yeah, no, thank you,” He says before hanging up and dialing again, “Ed? It’s Jack…”

Sam stands and listens for a moment longer, thinking over the conversation she’d just eavesdropped on. She didn’t peg Jack O’Neill as an early Christmas planner, if anything he struck her as a last minute shopper. But it didn’t sound like he was ordering a present, it sounded like he was contracting someone. But what would he have to contract? It wasn’t like there was any work to be done around the property, either here or the cabin, in the middle of winter. She stands in thought until he steps on a creaky step on his way back upstairs.

“Hey, you need something?” He asks.

“No, I was just going to grab something in my office,” She shakes her head with a smile. She’d figure out what he was up to in due time.

“Ed said he’d swing by on Monday or Tuesday and get everything up and running. They’re driving to Minneapolis to spend the holiday with their kids, but they’re not leaving until Tuesday afternoon.”

“As long as it’s not a problem.”

“He said it was fine.”

“Okay,” Sam nods, “Don’t touch that cake!”

“Yes, ma’am,” He laughs as he slips past her and walks into the bedroom.


	15. Chapter 15

“If they keep bringing pie over here every time we come to visit, I’m going to end up as big as a house,” Sam comments as she plops down next to Jack. One thing extra he’d asked Ed to do was to buy an air mattress in town for them to use in the living room in front of the fire. The blanket and pillow bed worked great, until getting up off of the couch in itself started to become a little bit of a struggle. He figured investing in a tall air mattress would be best for her, and a little better for his knees if he felt inclined to be a little selfish.

He looks over as she shovels another bite of Cool Whip covered pumpkin pie into her mouth. The pie had been waiting in the fridge for them when they’d gotten in and Sam had immediately dug in, while somehow also lamenting the fact that she didn’t even like pumpkin pie. This slice meant that she’d officially eaten more than half of the pie on her own. Not that he’d blame her, it was good pie.

“Wha?” She asks carefully around the mouthful of sugar, squash, and pastry as she notices him looking at her. Jack arches his eyebrow before casting his eyes down to her rounded belly before slowly making their way back up to hers. Her eyes narrow and she stabs him in the thigh with her fork, leaving a dollop of whipped fluff behind.

“Ow!”

“Don’t be an ass,” Sam says after she swallows, already bringing the fork back for another bite. Jack grabs her wrist before she can bring the next bite to her mouth and diverts it to his own. Her eyes narrow again and she pulls her fork back forcefully, “I asked if you wanted some.”

“I dint,” He responds with a full mouth, accidentally spraying her with a bit of sugary spittle as he hits the ’t’ in didn’t, “Oop…”

“Ewww,” She wrinkles her nose in disgust as she reaches out to grab the paper towel sitting next to her hip, wiping her face off.

“Sorry,” Jack mumbles after he swallows. Sam drops the crumpled paper towel into her lap and shakes her head with a small smile.

“Are you done making fun of me and stealing my food?”

“Stealing your food, yes, but I would never make fun of you,” He tells her, “Pregnancy looks very sexy on you.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Oh yeah,” He nods and leans over to kiss her.

“Promise me you’ll tell that come March and I really am the size of a beached whale?”

“I’ll tell it to you from the first day to the last,” He tells her honestly. She smiles and kisses him before finishing her piece of pie and setting the plate up on the couch. She shuffles a little closer to him and settles into his side as he wraps his arm around her and splays his fingers over the side of her stomach.

“March is gonna be here before we know it.”

“I think you might find that those last few weeks seem to last an eternity. From what I hear.”

“We haven’t even started on the nursery, or buying anything at all except that one outfit I bought last week.”

“We can work on the nursery over Christmas,” He says after a pause, “We’re slated to be off this year since we’ve worked the past couple. We can paint and drive into Denver and look at furniture. You’ll still have a few days off when we get home, you could put a registry together so we’d know at least in general what we wanted to buy.”

“Yeah, I could do that…” She trails off, “What color?”

“What color what?”

“Are we going to paint the nursery,” She asks as she looks over at him.

“Grey?” He suggests.

“Grey?”

“Yeah, we don’t know what we’re having. I don’t necessarily have anything against yellow, it’s not my favorite. I kind of hate that pale frog green color,” Jack admits, “Grey is…neutral. It can be decorated. Can’t it?”

“I guess.”

“We could always add an accent wall on…”

“Did you just use the term accent wall?”

“Teal’c’s been on about these…interior design shows he’s been watching. They finally hooked up some decent cable in his room,” Jack rolls his eyes, “I wouldn’t be opposed to blue either.”

“Yeah, I don’t know that I would want a pink room even if we knew we were having a girl,” She admits, “Grey could be nice.”

“I can pick up paint chips at the hardware store.”

“Okay,” She nods and nuzzles her nose into his neck, “We’ll figure it out…”

“Yeah we will.”

“I’m tired,” She announces.

“Take a nap, it’ll be a while before the turkey is done,” He refers to the breast they had put in the oven before they’d sat down in front of the fire. She nods and sighs as he turns the tv on along with the DVD player she’d insisted they buy in Duluth once they’d gotten off the plane. She wasn’t much of a tv watcher, but he was and the weather was not going to be friendly to over the waves TV. So they’d stopped at a Best Buy that was just still barely open and picked up a model she’d deemed acceptable along with a few movies and two seasons of the Simpsons, the first of which was already in the player.

“I love you,” She mumbles.

“Love you too,” He replies before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

The tail end of November fades away as they just barely manage to miss an early winter blizzard when they head back to Colorado. Sam takes a trip to a local baby supply store with Janet and Cassie, the three of them armed with registry guns. By the time they leave to get dinner, Sam chokes just slightly as she sees the total of the things they had scanned. It was going to leave a bit of a dent in their bank account. As promised, Jack goes to the hardware store one night after a mission and brings back a couple of handfuls of paint chips for her to look at. He rolls his eyes playfully as she pushes him down into a chair at the kitchen table in order to help her narrow down what they liked. 

SG-1 runs a rapid mission schedule during the December, only rolling back into town on the night of the 22nd. When they get out of their debrief close to midnight Jack decides to sleep in his quarters. After spending the day tying up the last of their mission loose ends Jack assures everyone they were still on for their usual meet up at his and Sam’s as he leaves the mountain on the twenty third, his boots crunching into the snow as he makes his way to his truck. He makes a couple of stops on his way home and sighs happily as he walks into the house, hearing a fire already crackling away in the living room along with Christmas music.

“I am officially on Christmas vacation,” Jack announces as he walks in, immediately plopping down on the couch next to Sam. She offers him an unamused look as he gives her a decent jostle when dropping his large frame onto the couch. He grins and winks at her before leaning over to kiss her, “I think I saw some mistletoe in the bedroom.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Mmhm,” Jack nods. 

“You’re not supposed to unwrap your presents early.”

“Just this one?” He pouts. Sam hums in thought before closing her book and pushing herself up off of the couch. She wiggles her fingers as she holds her hand out with a grin.

“Come on, Santa,” She purrs slightly before dragging him upstairs. How he had managed to keep her in bed until late the next afternoon except for foraging expeditions to the kitchen she’d never know. She tips her head up as he bites playfully at her neck, her own breath coming out in soft pants, “Please tell me we’re not actually making dinner tomorrow.”

“Nope, already committed us to ordering pizza. Same as usual.”

“Good,” She breathes and laughs as his hands run up her sides, accidentally grazing over a ticklish spot she had, “I feel like we should break for lunch.”

“Not yet,” He nips again, rolling over to hover above her before dropping his head as both of their stomachs growl.

“I think yes yet,” She replies before pushing him off of her. She grabs her robe as she slips out of bed, wrapping it around and tying it above her stomach. He grins and scratches his fingers across his chest as he watches her disappear downstairs. It had been a long few weeks and he was very much looking forward to his time off.

Sam manages to lure him out of bed later in the evening with the promise of cookies. She just didn’t tell him that he was going to have to roll out the dough to make them. They work in tandem to cut the sugar cookie dough into wintery shapes but she takes charge of shoveling the sheet pans into and out of the oven. Jack scoops them off of the pans and onto the cooling racks he didn’t know they had. He leans against the counter opposite from her as they wait for the last pan, watching as her fingers stroke along the lower curve of her stomach. He knew from the way her fingers were lazily extending and curling that the baby was asleep and she was simply lost in thought. The timer dings a few moments later and she straightens up before getting them out of the oven, setting the tray down on a hot pad.

“Frosting time,” She declares with a smile as the clock flicks over to eleven.

The next day, Sam yawns softly as she makes her way down the stairs, running her fingers through freshly curled hair. The guys were supposed to be over for an early dinner and presents and she’d dropped into bed earlier in the afternoon with the intent of taking a short nap but had ended up sleeping longer than planned. Jack had woken her up after Daniel and Teal’c arrived, giving her some time to get ready during which Janet and Cassie had arrived. She follows the voices into the kitchen and smiles brightly at their guests who were standing around chatting with drinks in their hands. She presses a kiss to the top of Cassie’s head and wraps an arm around Janet in a side hug.

“Hey sleepy head,” Janet greets, “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas,” Sam greets with a smile, “Sorry, I was hoping to be up before you guys got here.”

“You sleeping okay?” Janet asks with concern in her voice.

“Yeah, yeah, we were just up late last night and it’s a vicious cycle of getting comfortable and then having to get up and then getting comfortable again…”

“Up late huh?” Janet waggles her eyebrows to earn a laugh from Sam, “Oh the joys of pregnancy.”

“Joys, right,” Sam rolls her eyes with a smile before looking at the rest of the group.

“You guys do know that we bought the whole house, not just the kitchen.”

“But the cookies are in here,” Daniel points out, indicating the platter of Christmas cookies that Jack had laid out on the table.

“And they’re really good,” Cassie says.

“And we can take them into the living room,” Jack says as he steps back into the kitchen, putting the cordless house phone back onto the base, “Pizza should be here in about an hour.”

“Did you get…”

“Yes. I made sure to get jalapeños on yours,” Jack cuts Sam off before leaning down to kiss her, “Good nap?”

“Yeah, much better,” She smiles. Teal’c grabs the platter of cookies off the table and follows the rest of the group into the living room. Sam’s eyes widen as she gets around the corner and sees the mountain of gifts that had erupted under their Christmas tree.

“Hoooly Hannah, where did all of these come from?” When she’d finished wrapping and putting their gifts under the tree there’d only been maybe 30 at the most, and Jack had only stealthily managed to add about another handful to that. Now there had to be almost a hundred and the gifts were spilling out from their spot under the tree. 

“The all powerful Santa Claus, MajorCarter,” Teal’c answers as he sets the cookies down on the table. Jack laughs and slaps Teal’c on the back. The Jaffa was still an extremely serious straight forward person, but occasionally showed merits in the sarcasm department after such long exposure to Jack. Janet lets out a chuckle as she sinks into the corner of the couch while Cassie takes a seat on the floor at her mother’s feet, grabbing another cookie. 

“We brought them,” Daniel explains as drops into one of the arm chairs and props his feet up on the matching ottoman while Teal’c takes the one next to him, a few cookies in his large hand, “Well some of them. I’m assuming Janet and Cassie brought the rest. General Hammond even sent a few.” 

“He did?” Sam’s eyes widen as she sits down next to Janet, taking the pillow Jack was holding out to her to put behind her back.

“Yeah!” Daniel nods, “He gave a couple to Teal’c to bring with.”

“That’s nice of him,” Janet comments before taking a sip of her wine and setting the glass down on the side table next to her. Sam looks up as she feels something tap her in the shoulder, smiling thankfully at Jack as he holds out a bottle of water to her. She takes the bottle before he sits down next to her and stretches his arm along the back of the couch.

“Cass, go check that stocking on the end there,” Jack directs her to the penguin stocking on the end of the fireplace.

“Why?” Cassie asks as she looks up at Jack with an arched eyebrow.

“Just go check it would ya?” He rolls his eyes and Sam laughs as Cassie gets up from the floor and goes over to the stocking that Jack had indicated. She feels the stocking and finds it filled, lifting it off of it’s hook before peering inside. She grins as she finds the inside filled with candy and knickknacks.

“Is this for me?” She asks.

“It is,” Jack nods, “Carter picked out the stuff, I picked out the candy.”

“Sweet,” Cassie grins before carrying it back over to her spot and starting to dig through the goodies within. Janet nudges her in the back with a socked foot after a moment and Cassie lifts her head, looking back at her before turning to smile at Sam and Jack, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Sam replies with a smile.

“So!” Jack claps his hands, “Who wants to play Santa? Teal’c is this your year?”

“Of course, O’Neill,” Teal’c nods before getting up from his seat. He moves over to the pile of gifts and plucks the first one off the top, turning it over until he finds the tag on it. He stares at it before holding it out to Daniel, “I do not understand for whom this is for, DanielJackson.”

“Let me see,” Daniel says, leaning over to look at the label, “Oh, give those to Sam and Jack.”

“Now I’m afraid,” Sam laughs as she leans forward to take the gift from Teal’c, “Thank you.”

“You are most welcome,” Teal’c bows his head. Sam checks the tag of the package to see that it was from Janet and Cassie before slipping her nail underneath one of the taped flaps and starting to tear the paper off. She lets the paper fall to the floor and grins as she holds the box up to Jack.

“Baby monitors.”

“Sweet,” Jack comments as he takes the box and looks at the specifications, “Thanks, Doc.”

“You are very welcome.”

Teal’c continues to hand out gifts to everyone, occasionally stopping to open ones tagged for himself. Sam and Jack trade off on opening the gifts that they had figured out were for the baby. By the time they’re done each person from the group has a sizable pile of gifts after each exchanging with each other and there are three empty pizza boxes lining the coffee table, a fourth almost gone. The pile next to the couch was the largest out of all of them. From what Sam could figure the guys must have cleaned out the registry she had put together. The only things that seemed to be missing were the bigger items like a crib and car seats.

“You guys really didn’t have to get all of this stuff for the baby,” Sam says as she holds out a onesie in front of herself. It was cute, green and white stripes with a frog face on the chest, she’d have to dress the baby in it when Jack wasn’t around.

“You told Janet you didn’t want a shower,” Daniel explains, “So she suggested this, next best thing.”

“Besides you haven’t even painted the nursery yet,” Janet points out.

“I told you we’re getting to that,” Sam defends, “We’ve just been…”

“Busy. We’re getting it done while I’m off this next week,” Jack informs them. Sam had been trying to make more of an effort to cut back at work, but after Thanksgiving things seemed to be getting busier instead of slowing down and SG1 was spending more time out than ever, “We really appreciate this though.”

“Yes,” Sam agrees with a nod and a smile as she folds up the onesie, “Thank you.”

“Is it time for cake now?” Cassie asks with a grin.

“Yes, it’s always time for cake,” Jack grins back at her. He pushes himself up off of the couch before grabbing the empty pizza boxes, “I will be right back.”

“Will you grab me another bottle of water?” Sam requests.

“Sure, anyone else need a refill?”

“I’ll take one,” Daniel says before pushing up out of his chair, “Actually I’ll give you a hand.”

“Thanks,” Jack nods and the two trek into the kitchen. Daniel grabs drinks for everyone else before grabbing the dessert plates and forks. He juggles everything in his hands as he makes his way back to the living room. The plates get put down first before he hands cups of cider to Teal’c and Cassie and gives Sam her bottle of water. He pulls the cork out of the bottle of wine and tips it towards Janet in silent question. She nods and holds her glass out, offering him a thankful and slightly sultry smile. After filling the glass he re-corks the bottle and sets it down next to her, giving her a small wink before returning to his seat. 

Sam elbows Janet in the side a little firmly and arches her eyebrow. The brunette gives a small smirk and shrug as her cheeks color, taking a sip of her drink. Sam scoffs and gives her another small shove before Jack comes into the room, holding a candlelit cake in front of him. Her face turns bright red as everyone sings her happy birthday before she leans forward to blow out the candles. Jack had purchased her favorite, red velvet with cream cheese frosting, and had ‘Happy Birthday’ piped on top of it in blue with matching flowers. He cuts the cake and offers Sam a corner piece with a large frosting flower. She smiles at him before picking up a fork and digging in. She hums happily as the frosting melts over her tongue, already going back in for another bite.

After decimating the cake and finishing off the rest of the pizza and enjoying a few more hours of each other’s company they decide to break for the evening as Cassie falls asleep with her cheek pressed against her mother’s calf. The group quickly picks up from their evening and Janet gently shakes Cassie awake before they start to load out into their cars. Sam waves everyone off from the front door before closing and locking it. She groans softly as she rubs her back, walking towards the living room as Jack calls her name out.

“I’m sleeping in tomorrow,” Sam says as she steps into the room, “I am exhausted, utterly exhausted. Even though all I’ve been doing today is sleeping or sitting on the couch and opening gifts or eating. But apparently I’m still exhausted anyway.”

“Got enough energy for a couple of others?” Jack asks as he stands in front of the tree with a few tall gifts stacked up against his legs.

“Jack, what else could you have possibly gotten me?” Sam asks as she walks around the couch to stand in front of him, looking at the gifts. They were each wrapped in a different paper and about the size of a poster, only an inch or so thick. 

“These aren’t for you, per se,” Jack says, “They’re for the nursery.”

“Oh?” Sam asks as she sits on the arm of the couch.

“Yeah,” Jack nods, handing the first one over, “This one first.”

“Okay,” Sam says slowly before finding a flap of paper to tear, pulling it away from the frame beneath. She uncovers a watercolor of Jupiter among the stars and smiles. Jupiter was her favorite planet, but she was surprised that her fiancé knew, “Jack, this is beautiful.”

“You like it?”

“I love it,” She beams at him. Jack smiles back and offers her the other two frames as he takes the first one. The second one ends up being a watercolor of the Pisces constellation, “Why Pisces?”

“Your due date is in the date ranges for the Pisces astrological sign,” Jack explains, “So I figured…I mean not that I believe in astrology or anything…”

“No, no,” Sam shakes her head with a smile, handing the frame over, “It’s cute.”

Sam opens the third poster and tilts her head in confusion. She could tell it was a star map, but what it was was lost on her. She pulls it out of the paper sheath and sits it up on her thighs as she looks at it. She studies it for a moment, her practiced eye picking out constellations she had looked at a hundred times from her back porch.

“I know it’s the sky, but…what is it?”

“It’s a star map from the view point of Colorado Springs on June 14th,” Jack replies, rubbing the back of his neck. At the base of the painting was a silhouette of the mountains with some trees and a tiny grey house with a motorcycle parked out front.

“How did you…”

“Hammond helped get me in contact with the right people to get the plot that I needed,” He explains, “I had the paintings commissioned by an artist who was at that street festival you dragged me to in September, among other things.”

Sam sets the painting down with the others and pushes herself up from her perch. She steps over to Jack and cups his face in her hands before pressing her lips to his. She indulges herself in a long deep kiss before pulling back, dropping a few more soft kisses on his mouth before looking up at him with a small smile. His eyebrow quirks upward in mild confusion and she kisses him once more.

“I love you, so much,” She tells him, “And you are such a damn liar when you say you don’t do feelings.”

“I don’t. Mine at least,” Jack says, “Yours…”

“Ah,” Sam chuckles before her brain catches up, “Among other things? There are more things?”

“Well, thing, singular…” He admits, “Come upstairs with me?”

“Okay,” Sam nods, leaning the pictures up against the edge of the couch before turning the lights out as they make their way towards the stairs. If she was going up she wasn’t going to come back down. She takes Jack’s hand in hers and climbs the stairs with him. She pauses with wariness as they stop outside of the room that had been put aside as the nursery. The door had been closed practically since they’d moved in, but what was inside that he was wanting to surprise her with?

“I need you to have a little bit of an open mind for a few moments here.”

“An open mind?”

“Yeah,” He nods, “I promise you’re going to like what is on the other side of this door. Ready?”

"Ready may not be the word that I would use," Sam replies as she looks at him skeptically. She trusted him. She really did. But there was still a part of her that was very unsure about what was going on. She jumps when he steps behind her and covers her eyes.

"Jack," She warns.

"Carter," He replies, working his way up to an authoritative tone. Sam sighs and steps forward with him, listening as the door creaks open and they take a few more steps forward. He keeps her eyes covered with one large hand as he reaches over to turn the ceiling lights on.

“Ready?”

“Yeahsureyoubetcha,” Sam mumbles before he pulls his hands away. She blinks rapidly when he uncovers her eyes, wincing in the bright light even though he’d only had her eyes covered for a few moments. After taking a second to refocus her eyes widen as she looks at the room.

The room was still empty and the same basic white it had been when they moved in but on the largest wall was a large painting of a nebula. The Eagle Nebula, she was guessing from the shape and coloring. The nebula was large and colorful and took over the entire wall with smatterings of stars all across its expanse. She steps closer to the painting and takes in the coloring, how the colors were blended together to bring out highlights and shadows of the gasses.

“This is…this is amazing,” Sam murmurs, reaching out to gently run her fingers over the wall, her fingertips gently stroking over the Pillars of Creation, “How…I mean…you…”

“Sentences.”

“You did this?”

“Yes and no. The painter that did the poster pieces downstairs, I hired her to…”

“She came while we were at the cabin,” Sam interrupts as she turns around, “That’s who you were talking to on the phone that night. Before you called Ed.”

“Yeah, I’d asked her about doing it when I commissioned the paintings, but I was still…not entirely sure how I was going to get you out of the house long enough for her to come in and actually do it,” Jack explains as he steps closer to her, “Surprisingly once you’re around you’re a little hard to get rid of.”

“Should I be sorry about that?” She laughs as she wraps her arm around his waist, turning back to look at the painting, “It’s gorgeous…”

“She did a really good job,” Jack agrees.

“So we’re going with a space theme?”

“I think so,” He nods as he looks over the wall as well, thinking about the paintings downstairs, “Grey?”

“That light grey we looked at would go well in here,” She replies, “And we could get white furniture.”

“I’ll pick it up this week and take care of getting it painted,” He assures her as he squeezes her close, “You really like it?”

“If you had asked me if we should do it I would have said that it was tacky, but looking at it now, I really like it.”

“Good,” He smiles, “Good Christmas?”

“Ah, yeah. One of the best,” Sam tells him with a smile on her lips, leaning up on her toes to kiss him.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm kind of futzing with the super soldier storyline in these next couple of chapters. Just as an FYI.

Sam sighs as she stacks up the brochures in front of her and tosses them into the folder sitting to her right. She puts the folder away in a drawer before pushing herself up from her desk chair and making her way down to the living room, finding Jack sprawled out on the couch with a book propped up on his chest. He looks away from the page as she rounds the edge of the couch and stands over him.

"Can I help you?"

"I want a nanny."

"I mean you're slightly bad at cooking and maybe we’re a bit behind on laundry but I think a nanny for you is a bit much."

"Not for me," She replies with mild exasperation tinged by amusement, "For the baby."

“Didn’t you just go around to daycares yesterday and get a bunch of brochures? You were gonna read them and then we were going to go look at a couple."

"I did, and I looked at them, and I even talked to a few people when I went to go pick them up. And I want a nanny, for at least the first year,” She swats his feet out of the way and takes a seat on the couch, smiling when he puts his feet back into her lap and gives her stomach a small rub with his big toe.

"Are we talking what like...the Sound of Music here?” He asks as he sits up a little more, closing his book and tossing it onto the coffee table.

"Not exactly…" She grimaces slightly as she looks down at her stomach, rubbing her fingers over a small lump that appears.

"Not exactly?” Jack arches his eyebrow.

"There are placement services we can go through, and find someone full time or find someone to live-in. I don't think we necessarily need to go with a live-in, but I don't know that a full time is going to cover it…" She explains her hesitations.

"So..."

"Cassie?" Sam jumps to her real suggestion, finally looking up and over at her fiancé.

“I-you…” Jack opens and closes his mouth a few times, trying to figure out how to proceed tactfully, “You don’t think a daycare is good enough, but you want Cassie to watch her? How is that an improvement? Also Cassie is going to college in the fall, she'd be available for...literally a month."

Sam’s eyes narrow. Okay, so maybe he could learn a little more tact.

”She’s not going to Boulder. She's enlisting,” Sam explains.

"She's enlisting?"

"She decided she really wants to join the Air Force, she did a late application to the Academy and it'll be a year before she starts,” Sam explains to him as her fingers wrap around one of his socked feet, "The last couple years she's worked the summer at a daycare. Actually at one of the ones that I was looking at. And she's done some babysitting on the side. She's had a lot of first aid and CPR classes.”

“So has a regular nanny.”

“She understands the mountain.”

“Ah…you’re worried that someone from outside won't."

“We go into work in the middle of the night sometimes. Sometimes the mountain gets sealed and we’re gone for four days. Sometimes you come home looking like a train hit you,” She rattles off, "Our baby has naquadah in her system. She will most likely have some of the protein markers I have, she can’t just…be taken anywhere. She needs to go to the Academy hospital or the SGC. A regular nanny would call child services within five minutes of meeting us.”

“That’s how we end up with Cass.”

“That’s how we end up with Cass,” Sam repeats, scraping her nails up his ankle slightly. She smirks as he jerks away slightly, “I still need to talk to her and I want to talk to Janet about it. I don’t want her to think that we’re taking advantage. But I wanted to run the idea by you first.”

“If she wants to do it we can talk more about it,” Jack agrees, “I have every confidence in her but she’s damn well going to be prepared by the time you go back to work.”

“I know. I’m supposed to have lunch tomorrow with Janet, I’ll feel it out then.” 

“Okay.”

“Who…who watched Charlie when he was a baby?”

“Charlie? Sara stayed home a lot. I was making enough hazard pay that we could afford it,” Jack explains, “She did some substitute teaching, tutoring. Her parents lived close enough that they would take him when we needed them to.”

“How long?”

“He was eighteen months when she went back to teaching full time.”

“So a year’s not too bad.”

“No, a year’s not bad at all,” He agrees. She sighs and rubs her hand up and down his shin through his jeans.

“You’ll tell me when I’m getting crazy, right?”

“You’re just being a mom,” He laughs and shifts his feet down to the floor, leaning over to kiss her, “Still up for dinner out?”

“Yeah,” She nods and smiles, “I have a feeling I’m not going to be seeing you that much until the baby’s here.”

“You need me to slow down all you have to do is say the word.”

“I know,” Sam assures him before taking his hand to help her up off of the couch.

“Let’s get going, I want to beat the traffic.”

“You sound like an old man when you say that,” She jokes as she digs her boots out of the closet and zips them up her calves, thanking him as he holds her coat out for her.

“As luck would have it, I am an old man,” He kisses the crown of her head before they head out to the car.

The next afternoon Sam meets Janet at a local sports bar for lunch, lifting her hand in a wave when she spots the brunette before slipping into one of the seats across from her. Janet orders a beer and a burger while Sam orders a lemonade and a pile of extra spicy hot wings. Once they’re finished Janet eyes the pile of bones with disgusted interest.

“Do you have any tastebuds left? My eyes are watering all the way over here.”

“I don’t think so,” Sam laughs as she cleans off her fingers with the provided wet-naps, “You should have seen the amount of chili sauce I put on my Chinese food last night. Jack wouldn’t let me anywhere near him after.”

“I can imagine.”

“What is Cassandra doing today?”

“She is sledding, out at Palmer Park with the Jefferson twins,” Janet explains, “I wish I could get paid to go sledding.”

“It would be nice,” Sam smiles, “Actually that’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Getting paid for sledding?”

“No. Cassie’s babysitting,” She explains before taking a sip of her lemonade, “I was thinking about approaching her to see if she’d be interested in being our nanny when I go back to work since she’s going to be out of school for a year.”

“You want Cass to be your nanny?”

“It’s not as if she’s without experience. And she understands the certain…sensitivities of our jobs,” Sam explains, “It would only be for the year. Reasonable pay, semi reasonable hours. I know it’d be a big undertaking…”

“I think she could handle it. And she’s eighteen, it’s not like I can tell her what jobs she can and can’t take.”

“I know, I just thought I’d get a second opinion to make sure I’m not insane. And I didn’t want you to think we were trying to take advantage.”

“You’re the last person that would take advantage of Cassandra,” Janet assures her, “She’s supposed to be done around four. As far as I know she doesn’t have any plans this evening if you want her for dinner.”

“I might call her and see if she wants to come over,” Sam ponders before looking up as their waiter comes over and asks if they want anything else. They both shake their head and hand over their cards to split the bill.

“Hot chocolate at the coffee shop?”

“That actually sounds really good,” Sam agrees. By the time she gets home it’s a little after two and her feet are dragging as she climbs the stairs and falls into bed after taking her jeans off. She doesn’t look up as she hears Jack’s footsteps a few minutes later.

“Hey I thought I heard you come in. You okay?” He asks as he walks around to her side of the bed.

“I think I’m getting a cold,” She mumbles into her pillow, “Achey.”

“Didn’t you just see Janet?”

“Didn’t hit me til I was coming home.”

“Why don’t I get you some OJ and Tylenol? Hmm?” Jack asks.

“Yes please,” She responds and shifts, looking up at him properly, “Jan said she didn’t mind if we asked Cass. I’ll talk to her at some point this week.”

“No rush,” Jack assures her, “I’ll be right back.”

“Okay,” She agrees, smiling as he presses a kiss to her forehead before going back downstairs.

Sam ends up spending a couple of days into the New Year at home as she gets over the worst of her cold before reporting back into the mountain. She drops her things off before collecting her laptop and a stack of files, huffing it towards the briefing room to meet with General Hammond. She walks him through a progress update on where they were with their new weapon to target the evolving super soldiers.

“While we are making good progress the Tok'ra are supposed to be sending someone over, today hopefully, to give you a hand with the weapon since you're obviously unable to travel through the gate. Doctor Fellowes has been trying to help at the alpha site but it's been a little slow going and certain people are getting impatient," General Hammond explains, "We're hoping to get the updated prototype into production as soon as possible, but definitely by the end of this month."

"Of course, sir," Sam nods, "Based on reports of how often we're seeing activity once we get the prototype together it shouldn't be too difficult for SG1 to find a group to test it against. They seem to be doing a good job at tracking our movements. Last time a team went through it was 20 minutes before they were under attack."

"I don't think anyone would disagree with you there," Hammond's mouth quirks slightly at the corner before the klaxons sound and Walter announces an unauthorized off-world activation. The two make their way down to the control room where Jack was just coming up the stairs.

"What do we got?" Jack asks as he comes to stand behind Walter.

"Receiving IDC now...looks like it's the Tok'ra," Walter tells them, looking up at the General.

"Open the iris," He commands as Jack and Sam make their way down to the gate room. A wide smile spreads across her face as Jacob steps through with a bag at his side.

"Dad!" She calls out with an excited tone, stepping forward to meet him at the end of the ramp as the wormhole disconnects.

"Hey kiddo," Jacob greets as he pulls her into a hug. Sam wraps her arms around him and hugs him tight before stepping back. He puts his hands on her stomach and raises his eyebrows as he looks at her, a slightly silly grin on his face, "Look at you."

"Look at me," Sam laughs, "I look like a house."

"Nonsense," Jacob shakes his head as he pulls his hands back, "You look great. Jack, how are you?"

"Oh you know, just keeping a fit, lithe figure," Jack teases before both of the Carters give him unimpressed looks, "SO! You're here to work with Sam? New world saving doohickey?"

"Yes, new world saving _doohickey_ ," Jacob repeats.

"Come on, I'll take you to the lab," Sam says with a smile. She bumps Jack in the shoulder as she walks past him before directing her father towards her personal lab. She sets her laptop down on the bench and stores a few things into a hard case that was open on one of the other counters before latching it closed and going to grab the handles.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Jacob says, rushing over. He grabs the case from Sam and shakes his head, "I'll take it."

"Thanks," She replies, grabbing her computer once again before taking him back out into the hallway.

"They haven't been making you carry this stuff around have they?" Jacob asks as he follows her.

"No," Sam laughs and shakes her head, "The last couple months I barely get a moment alone, there are people constantly in and out to see if I need help with anything."

"Good," He replies as he follows her into an empty lab and sets the case down on the work bench, "How have you been doing?"

"I've been good, but I’m just getting over a cold,” Sam replies as she starts to unpack, "I could stand to be done though. Everything's uncomfortable, I have heartburn most days, and if I get another foot in the ribs I'm going to lose it."

"Sounds like what your mother described," Jacob laughs as he unpacks his own gear, "How far along are you now?"

"Just at eight months," She replies as she boots up her laptop. He notices the glint of her engagement ring in the light of the lab and clears his throat. She looks up from her computer with an arch to her eyebrow before following his eyes down, "Oh, yeah...that happened."

"That happened? What did he trip and accidentally shove a ring onto your finger?”

“No, no, it wasn't an accident," Sam laughs, "We, uh, we bought a house together. An acreage on the outskirts of town. Jack stumbled on the property and we went to look at it and he proposed. Actually got down on one knee."

"Jack O'Neill down on one knee, huh?" Jacob grins, "Now there's a sight."

"Yep," Sam grins, "We'll do dinner tonight and you can stay with us. SG1's leaving this afternoon anyway so we’ll have time to catch up."

"I think that sounds like a great plan,” Jacob agrees before they start to work. 

It’s a little after six when Jacob insists that they pack up for the day, surprised at how readily his daughter agrees. He takes the time to change into the BDUs he had stashed at the base while she cleans and locks up the lab. She signs him out as they make their way to the surface and he follows her towards the Jeep in the parking lot.

“That’s new.”

“Yeah, Jack bought it…well one a few months ago,” She tells him, “It’s easier for me to drive than the Volvo right now. So we swapped.”

“What?” Jacob asks as he picks up on her sentence stumble.

“The day he proposed he had gone out and bought one because the pickup doesn’t have room for a carseat in it. We got into a pretty bad accident a little before Thanksgiving and totaled it. This is technically the replacement, though it’s literally exactly the same,” Sam explains as they approach the car.

“A car accident?! Are you okay?”

“Yeah I’m fine,” She nods with a smile, “I had a pretty bad concussion, some bruising…got a couple of weeks off work though.”

“That’s not funny.”

“I know, we’re fine,” She assures him before unlocking the doors and climbing inside. The two stop to pick up dinner and Jacob watches the passing scenery as she drives them to the house. He lets out a low whistle as they pull up through the drive before Sam pulls the car into the garage.

“Nice digs.”

“It’s a bit of an upgrade from a tiny two bedroom,” Sam comments with a smile as she turns the car off before getting out. She leads her father inside and kicks off her snow boots before dropping her keys on the kitchen counter and flipping the lights on, “Ah, go ahead and just put it on the table, and help yourself to whatever’s in the fridge. I'm going to go change out of these clothes."

"Sure," Jacob nods, setting their takeout on the kitchen table. He pokes around the kitchen, finding plates and silverware along with a glass before setting the table. He fills his glass with milk before adding a large squeeze of chocolate syrup at Selmak's urging. After mixing the concoction together he wanders through the main floor, occasionally taking a sip of his drink.

Jacob stops at the mantle over the fireplace and finds Sam and Jack's pictures mingled together. There were a few pictures of Charlie, pictures of the SG1 group both in and out of gear, a picture of Cassie and Boomer in Janet's back yard. He picks up a picture of Sam with Bailey and Will that was a couple years old and smiles as he looks at their bright and happy faces. After placing it back where it had been he picks up the picture next to it which looked relatively new from the contents. Both Sam and Jack were standing in front of the Christmas tree together laughing as they looked at each other while Jack had his arms wrapped around Sam from behind, his hands resting on her stomach as one of her's covered his.

"Daniel took that at Christmas," Sam says as she pads into the living room. Jacob jumps and puts the picture back, turning to face his daughter. She was dressed in an oversized t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants with her hair pulled back into a ponytail and glasses on her nose, "We all pitched in and got him a new camera lens and he kept taking pictures all night. I don't even remember what we were laughing at."

"He makes you happy doesn't he?"

"Of course he does, I wouldn't be here otherwise," Sam laughs, "In case you haven't noticed Dad, I'm a little stubborn."

"A little?" Jacob arches his eyebrow.

"The point is," Sam says pointedly, "If I didn't want to be in a relationship with Jack, I wouldn't be in a relationship with Jack. We'd be working out custody with lawyers. What happened between us wasn't some...drunken tumble after a long night at O'Malley's. It was..."

"I don't want to hear the end of that sentence," Jacob waves her off with a wrinkled nose making Sam laugh, "I believe you. Seems like a nice house though."

"Thanks, I can give you the fifty cent tour if you want," Sam offers.

"Sure," Jacob nods, following Sam around as she points out the highlights. The basement Jack was thinking of turning into a den and the accompanying office that might become a safe room. She takes him upstairs and indicates her office and the guest rooms before taking him into the nursery, “This is certainly…a little different from the powder pink room you had as a baby.”

“Jack actually took care of a lot of it,” She tells him, “He hired this artist that was at an art fair we went to to paint the wall and the pieces over the crib.”

“It’s a little on the nose, don’t you think?”

“I think it’s perfect,” She smiles, “Just think of how much sooner I could have found my calling if I’d had the Eagle Nebula painted on my nursery wall instead of ballet slippers.”

“I don’t think it’s actually possible for you to have found your calling any sooner than you did. You were three when you latched onto those damn Matt Mason dolls,” Jacob laughs as they make their way downstairs. Sam grins and follows him into the kitchen, “It really is a nice house though.”

“Thanks, we decided that Colorado's going to be home for us, so the purchase made sense. And we paid off a decent amount of it selling both houses," She explains as she unpacks the bag and starts to open containers.

"Five bedrooms though, a bit much for the three of you."

"Well, we have Cassandra over sometimes. Sometimes the guys stay the night," She skirts as she dishes out food before taking a seat, "We haven't talked about...I shouldn’t have been able to get pregnant, so the fact that this even happened is insane. We haven't talked about more kids, I don't even know if that will be possible, I don't even know what the next six months are going to look like but we have room to grow here. To build a home and have something normal at the end of the day."

"I used to say normal was overrated, but after the last few years..." Jacob shakes his head, "Sometimes it's nice to just come home and put your feet up and not have to worry about the world falling apart."

"You're telling me. I feel useless sitting in that lab sometimes. There are so many problems that they've been running into while they've been off world that I can't do anything about," Sam admits, "Doing the stuff we did today...that's the most useful I've felt since I retired."

"Sam, everything you're doing is important," Jacob assures her.

"It doesn't feel like that most of the time," Sam shrugs.

The two spend the rest of the week working together and Sam sends Jacob off with promises to finish the final touches on the device and send it out for another test. Just as he leaves SG1 comes in hot, arrows, pikes, and spears following them through the wormhole. One of the Marines jumps in front of her as the projectiles impact the cement and glass until the iris closes and the wormhole disengages. She thanks him as she steps out from behind his large form.

“Goddamn it!” Jack exclaims, spinning in circles a couple of times to try and grab the arrow that was lodged into his shoulder.

“Don’t!” She exclaims as he about curls his fingers around the shaft, “Don’t…pull it out. Let them do that in the infirmary.”

“What are you doing here?” He asks when he finally notices her, Daniel and Maia trying to control their snickers as he leaves the arrow sticking out of his shoulder.

“I was just done sending my dad off when you came in with the Flintstone tribe flinging weapons at you,” She grimaces as she looks at the arrow before nodding towards the door, “I’ll walk down with you.”

“Thanks,” He says, handing his P90 over to one of the Marines before following Sam out the door and towards the infirmary, “How’s Pops?”

“He’s fine. Almost done with the upgrades. I just have a couple of tweaks that need to be made before we can do another test.”

“You know, I’m really starting to feel like bait.”

“Because you are,” Sam grins, “We’re really hoping this should do the trick.”

“It’d be nice,” He agrees, “How much of an ass do I look like walking to the infirmary with an arrow sticking out of my shoulder?”

“Only slightly less of an ass than if it was sticking out of your actual ass.”

“You know, you developed a bit of a mouth after you retired.”

“Oh I’ve always had it, you just didn’t know it,” She winks as she opens the door into the general exam area, letting him walk through first, “Janet, break out the needles…”

“Hey!” Jack exclaims and Sam laughs as Janet delegates the rest of the team out to her nurses before a doctor joins her at Jack’s bed.

“You know…this is what I expect from Daniel, not you, sir,” Janet tells him as she takes a cursory look at the arrow, “Doctor Michaels, meet Colonel Jack O’Neill and Doctor Samantha Carter.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Doctor,” Sam holds her hand out and shakes the young doctor’s hand, smiling at him.

“You as well.”

“I’ll hold my reservations on whether or not it’s nice to meet you until this arrow is out of my shoulder,” Jack smarts, hissing as Janet prods it slightly, “Ow!”

“Lay down on your front,” She instructs before going to get the things that she needed. Jack rolls his eyes and shifts to sprawl out on his front on the bed, giving Sam the stink eye as she grins a little bit.

"Do these things happen frequently?" Doctor Michaels asks as he leans to inspect the arrow himself.

"Frequently? No. I'd say it's usually more staff blasts and hand to hand that lands people in here. Maybe some knife wounds."

"I think you're leading the charge on knife wounds, Carter," Jack gripes from the bed. Sam bites back her immediate retort and shakes her head as she squeezes his hand.

"As thrilling as it would be to watch this, I have a meeting in a few minutes. Lunch?"

"Yeah, I'll meet you," He nods. She winks softly at him before leaving the infirmary and heading back to her lab. It's a little after noon when she fills the sixth seat at SG1's ever expanding table. Jack lifts his tray for her to slide hers under as she moves her plate and jello to sit directly on the table. He nudges a glass of diet soda towards her as she picks up her fork to start eating.

"How's your shoulder?"

"Fine," He shrugs, wincing as he does. She purses her lips in a suppressed smile and he sighs, "I'm not supposed to over extend my reach. At least for a few days. It's not keeping us off the roster."

"Well you're not supposed to leave again for a couple of days, so I suppose that's good."

"Mmm," Jack hums around a bite of mashed potatoes before swallowing, "Your meeting?"

"Ah travel and schedule arrangements," She tells him, "I'm picking up some classes at the Academy next week, during the afternoons. Now once I get done on Friday I'm catching a transport to Nellis and spending the week at Area 51 before I go to San Diego for that conference. I thought I'd spend the weekend with Mark. So I'll get back that Sunday night."

"You're gonna be gone for two weeks?"

"Yeah. I know it seems like a lot but this is the last time they can ship me anywhere before the baby gets here. And I need to go to Area 51 to do a final walk through on some of the aviation projects, and I'm supposed to present a paper at this conference."

"Doc is okay with this?"

"She said I'll be fine," She assures him as she spears a bite of chicken, "My back might hate it, but it'll be fine. Short flights at least."

"And you don't need me to go with you for any of this?" He asks as she chews. She shakes her head while swallowing.

"I do miss you when I go. But need you to go? No. Besides SG1's stacked up on missions, you can't go."

"I could..."

"Jack, you need all the time you can get after the baby gets here. And you need to go on these missions," Sam reminds him, "I can survive a couple weeks without you."

"Just what every guy wants to hear," Jack grins and she laughs, kicking his foot underneath the table before turning her attention to Daniel as he raises his eyebrow at them.

"Oh come on. You should be used to it by now."


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter for the day!

_She's at the Academy, she's at the Academy, she's at the Academy_ , Jack repeats to himself as he fires off another burst from the P90 in his hands, Teal’c peeling off staff blasts at his side. The gate had been breached by a squadron of the super soldiers and they were struggling to maintain control of the base of the mountain. So far they had locked down levels 19 and south which was not a comfort to him considering the location of Sam’s lab. He hoped she had the sense to shut and lock the blast door and bunker down if for some reason she hadn’t already left, but the thought of her already being long gone was the only thing keeping him sane and not rushing up to her lab to see that she was okay.

They needed to get back control of the control and gate room, but that was the hardest place in the mountain to take back once you lost it. Jack leads Teal’c down a corridor, taking point on the mission to make their way to the heart of the base. He hears footsteps in the crossing corridor and holds up his hand to get the Jaffa to stop. He silently steps closer to the corner, listening to the footsteps before cutting around the corner with his gun raised.

“Whoa, whoa! Friendly!” The young airman in the line of fire cries out, lifting his hands and letting his gun drop. The P90 dangles from his the clip keeping it attached to his flack vest. Jack goes to drop his muzzle before he notices Sam behind the young man, causing him to tighten his grip, “Colonel?”

“Airman, what are you doing?!” Jack snaps as his eyes narrow.

“Sir, Doctor Carter asked that I escort…”

“This base is under lock down and attack from an enemy combatant and you’re providing escort services!?” Jack yells, taking his anger out on the airman when he really wanted to be yelling at Sam.

“Sh-sh-she…”

“She what?”

“ _She_ has the weapon you’re going to need to get the base back,” Sam inserts herself into the conversation. She steps in front of the airman and pushes the muzzle of Jack’s gun down before unhooking the weapon she had attached to the flack vest she’d shrugged on, “I checked it out of the armory to finish making the modifications this morning and was on my way to take it to production when the alarms went off.”

“This is it?” He asks as he takes the weapon from her, looking it over.

“Armor piercing with energy bursts on impact. It hasn't been tested yet, but it's the best chance we have,” Sam explains as she hands the gun over, taking the P90 from Jack. She hands the sidearm in her grip over to the airman as she clips the P90 onto her vest, “Based on the research we’ve been doing and reports you’ve been bringing back, the group that infiltrated is essentially a hive. They’re going to be concentrated in a singular, important area; most likely the control room. In order to make them more effective they've started to use a hive mentality. The workers are essentially dummies. If you get the alpha the rest of them will be rendered useless.”

"Alpha?"

"You'll know it when you see it."

“Right,” Jack nods, looking the weapon over. She gives him a quick run down and he fires off one round towards the wall, causing a large explosion along with a heavy burst of electrical energy, “Sweet.”

“There’s those three rounds and these four…” Sam holds up another cartridge to him, “I don’t have any more. Please conserve.”

"Airman, if you would escort Doctor Carter back to her lab," Jack orders, looking at the airman after stuffing the extra cartridge into one of his pockets. He looks back and offers his fiancée a frosty glance, "Make sure the blast door is secured."

"Yes, sir," The airman nods, taking his own weapon back into his hands. Sam's jaw clenches before she starts to follow him back the way they came. It's not until the lockdown is completely lifted that Jack allows himself to make his way to her lab. His steps quicken as he notices a puddle of blood in the hallway, rushing into the room. He finds the lab empty and immediately directs himself towards the infirmary. 

The room was in total chaos by the time he arrived, Janet standing in the middle triaging the nurses and other doctors. On first glance Jack can't pick Sam out of the crowd but he wades his way through everyone to get to the petite doctor.

"Is Sam here?"

"Came and went," Janet answers after flipping through the clipboard in her hand, "There wasn't anything wrong with her so I sent her on her way. We couldn't do anything for the airman she came in with though."

"She came in with an airman?"

"Three blast wounds, he'd already lost too much blood by the time he was dragged in here," Janet tells him. Jack thanks her with a graveled tone before making his way out of the infirmary and towards the nearest phone. He punches in Sam's number from memory and listens to it ring and ring before he's kicked to her voicemail. He lets out a frustrated breath and disconnects the call before trying again, once again only getting her voicemail.

"Call me," He practically barks before hanging up the phone. If his previous feeling of rage was any indication to go by, he'd probably just moved into the murderous emotional plane. 

Sam sighs as she pulls her car into the garage. She sniffles and wipes at her cheeks one more time before looking at her phone again, the display blinking back at her. 14 missed calls. She tosses the offending object back into her bag and tips her head back against the headrest of the driver's seat. She sits for a few moments before heaving herself out of the car and making her way inside. Her bag and keys get discarded on the kitchen table before she makes her way upstairs to the bedroom, grabbing a suitcase from the closet. Alternating between packing and wiping tears off her face, Sam doesn’t look up as Jack walks into the bedroom with a weight in his step she could almost equate to stomping.

“I really don’t want to do this right now,” Sam whispers as she continues to pack.

“Well tough shit!” Jack yells.

“Jack…don’t,” Sam looks up at him with red eyes, “I already feel bad enough. I don’t need you to pile on.”

“You should feel bad! You should feel terrible!” Jack rails.

“I know that!” Sam snaps back as she stops taking the care to properly fold everything she was putting into her suitcase. It doesn’t exactly surprise her that a couple hours later she finds herself standing on Janet’s porch, knocking softly on the door. She jumps slightly as the door opens revealing Janet wrapped in a purple terry cloth robe with her hair clipped back from her face.

“Sam! Honey…” Janet frowns, “What’s wrong?”

“Do you mind if I stay here tonight?” Sam asks with a thick, raspy voice.

“Of course,” Janet nods, stepping back to let Sam in before closing the door behind her, “You sound terrible. What happened?”

“I’ve been screaming for the last hour and a half,” Sam says, “We got in an argument and I really don’t want to look at him right now.”

“Sounds pretty rough,” Janet comments as Sam shrugs off her coat and hangs it up, dusting snowflakes out of her hair.

“Jan, who’s at the doo…oh, hey Sam,” Daniel greets as he wanders into the entryway in his sweat pants and a tank top.

“Oh God, I’m interrupting,” Sam groans, burying her face in her hands trying to stave off another round of tears.

“No! No you’re not,” Janet reassures her, starting to guide Sam into the living room, “You’re not interrupting at all. Go get comfortable on the couch, I’ll get you some tea.”

“Are you sure?”

“Go, sit, now,” She commands in a firmer tone, nudging the blonde towards the couch before Daniel arches his eyebrow at her.

“What happened?” He asks in a quiet tone.

“They got in an argument,” Janet shrugs as she looks up at him, patting him in the abs, “Go ahead and go up. I shouldn’t be too long.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I’ve got this,” She assures him. Daniel nods and leans down, pecking her on the lips. She winks at him before heading into the kitchen and turning the kettle on. Once the water’s warm enough she pours it over a peppermint tea bag before bringing the mug to Sam, “Here.”

“Thanks,” Sam mumbles as she takes a sip before taking a deep breath. Janet pulls her leg up as she sits on the couch sideways, facing her friend. She gives Sam a few minutes to decompress before shifting closer.

“You want to tell me what happened?” She probes softly.

“He said Sergeant Miles getting shot was my fault,” Sam bursts into tears. Janet’s eyes widen and she immediately shuffles closer to Sam, wrapping her up in her arms.

“Oh boy,” She mumbles, rubbing her hand up and down Sam’s back as she sobs into her chest.

It's a couple hours later when Janet leaves Sam in her guest room with a fresh stack of towels, letting her know that she'd be down the hall if she needed anything. She closes the door behind herself before heading to her own room, finding Daniel propped up against the headboard fast asleep with a book in his lap. She walks over to the bed and grabs the book before stuffing a piece of paper in it to mark his place and putting it on the bedside table. The man hums as he feels the weight lifted from his lap, his eyes blinking open slightly before he pushes his glasses back into place.

"What time is it?"

"Just after 11," She replies as she rounds the bed to her side, draping her robe on a chair that was sitting in the corner, "I finally got her to go to bed. She was...I don't know how to describe it. I've never seen her like that before."

"Did she tell you what happened?"

"Apparently a lot of yelling," She describes as she pulls back the covers and climbs in, "It sounded pretty knock down, drag out."

"I never pictured Sam as a yeller," Daniel comments as he takes his glasses off and puts them on top of his book.

"Well she's been the Colonel's subordinate for years," Janet responds, "They kind of beat into you you're not supposed to yell at them. And I think they both said some stuff they wish they could take back."

"You don't think they'll split up? Do you?"

"She still had her ring on," She supplies, "I think they just need a little time apart to calm down."

"What does having her ring on have to do with anything?" He inquires, "She could have just not taken it off."

"I chucked mine at my ex's head the last fight we had," She laughs before rolling over to face Daniel, "They'll be fine."

“I’ll trust you,” He defers before pulling her closer and pressing a deep kiss to her lips. She hums and fists his tank top in her hand for a moment before pushing him away.

“No, no, no,” She shakes her head, “Sam’s just down the hall.”

“It’s not like she’s Cass.”

“Daniel Jackson!” Janet laughs, “Do you think anyone would believe me if I told them you were the bad influence in this relationship?”

“Not a chance,” Daniel grins before kissing her again.

Sam spends most of the night tossing and turning before giving up on sleep early in the morning. She gets out of bed and grabs the towels that Janet had given her before going into the bathroom to shower. After getting ready for work she takes her things out to her car and dusts the snow off of the windshield. Climbing inside she turns the engine over and turns the heat up before pulling out her cell phone. The battery was low and she was surprised to find that there were no missed calls or messages waiting for her. She dials the number three speed dial on her phone and holds it to her ear.

“Hi, I’d like to leave a message for General Hammond…yeah, can you just let him know that Doctor Carter isn’t going to be in today, but she’ll still be at Petersen for the transport later? Thanks,” She flips the phone shut and puts it back in her purse before backing out of the driveway and pointing herself towards the Academy. 

Sam spends her day popping in on a couple of lectures before teaching the one she’d been brought in for the week for. Afterward she talks to the professor for a few moments before gathering her things and heading to Petersen for the transport. She checks her phone once more before the plane takes off the ground, turning it off and tucking it away. Once they get to Nellis she’s escorted to the guest quarters and she drops her bag on the ground next to the bed.

“Is there anything that you needed, Doctor Carter?”

“No, thank you,” Sam dismisses before closing the door. She lets out a long breath before dropping down onto the single bed with a groan. She rubs her hand along the side of her stomach and lets out a shuddering breath as her tears start again.

Sam manages to hold it together during the days as she works with the other scientists, only breaking down once she gets back to her guest quarters. She finds herself dialing her cell phone a few times only to close it once again and go back to her self wallowing. On Thursday she excuses herself from the base early, catching a ride to McCarran in Vegas. She looks at the departure boards before approaching the ticketing desk of the company she was flying with to San Diego.

“Hi, I needed to switch some of my flights around.”

“Sure, what can we do for you?"

“I’m booked on a flight to San Diego on Saturday morning. But I need to get on the flight to Des Moines today and fly to San Diego from there.”

“Okay, do you have your reservation number and an ID?” Sam nods and hands the two items over. She stands patiently leaning against the counter as she listens to the woman furiously type on the keyboard in front of her, “Did you want your return flight from San Diego to be back to Colorado still?”

“Yeah,” Sam nods.

“Alright, we can get you on the 12 o’ clock to Des Moines and then we have a flight to San Diego leaving at 8 am on Saturday with a 2 hour layover in Denver. Does that work for you?”

“Sure,” Sam nods again.

“Alright, between updating your current ticket and the new flight to Des Moines your total is going to be $756.93.”

“Thanks,” Sam mumbles as she hands over her credit card, slipping it back in her wallet once it’s charged and she has all of the papers she needed.

“Are you checking a bag today?”

“Yeah, just the one,” She replies, lifting it up onto the platform next to the ticket counter. She waits until it’s tagged and put on the belt to be loaded onto the plane before she thanks the ticketing agent once more and goes towards security. By noon she finds herself touching down in Iowa, looking out the window at a snowy landscape as they make their descent. She’s able to easily collect her bag before making her way towards the car rental desks, selecting a company that she’d previously rented from before.

“Hi, picking up?” The attendant asks.

“Yes, I don’t have a reservation though.”

“That shouldn’t be an issue. Can I get your information?” He requests. The two go back and forth a little bit, getting all of the information they would need for a reservation before he inquires as to the size of car that she would want.

“How bad is the snow?” Sam asks. She had no idea what the weather was supposed to be during the next couple days. Hell she had no idea how to get to where she was going, but that was her next problem.

“Not terrible, we’re actually experiencing a little heat wave at the moment, it’s supposed to be in the forties for the next few days.”

“Then a mid-size should do the trick,” Sam smiles, “You wouldn’t also happen to have a GPS to rent as well?”

“Sure, it’s just an extra fee per day.”

“That’s fine,” Sam shakes her head as she hands her card over before signing off on the contract.

“Someone’s going to bring that around for you in a moment, if you want to wait outside.”

“Thanks,” Sam offers a small smile before going outside to wait for the car. She shivers slightly as she steps into the balmy air. It might have been warm for winter but after spending five days in the desert warm temperatures it was still quite chilly. Once the car is brought around she loads her suitcase into the trunk and climbs into the driver’s seat before powering up the GPS and punching in where she wanted to go, at least the general idea of where she wanted to go. On her way out of town she drives through a burger place and gets lunch, munching on french fries as she barrels down I-80 towards the aptly named Iowa City.

“You do know every time you want french fries that’s another mile you’re going to have to run with me once you’re here, little star?” Sam tells the baby as she licks salt off of her fingers, chuckling softly as she gets a kick in return. She finishes up her lunch before balling up the bag and tossing it into the passenger seat. She takes a sip of her diet cola before starting to flip through radio stations, landing on a country station and settling in for the rest of her drive. 

The two hour drive doesn’t take too long and soon Sam finds herself pulling off the highway at the first indication of a hotel being available. She parks the car in a parking lot and grabs her suitcase before going inside and up to the front desk. She checks into a room for two nights and makes her way down the hall, swiping into her room. She unpacks a couple of things and hangs them up before running her fingers through her hair and looking around.

“Not too much to do…” She mumbles to herself before sinking down onto the bed and turning on the tv. She easily finds herself dozing off as she slowly rubs her hand back and forth over her stomach. She ventures out for dinner, finding a nice restaurant relatively close to the hotel. She treats herself to a slice of cake for dessert with her eyes trained on a tv in the corner, watching the basketball game that was on with mild interest. Once she finishes her dessert she settles up on the bill before going back to the hotel.

Sam indulges in a long shower before getting dressed for bed and settling in for the night. The hotel bed was only marginally more comfortable than the one she’d been sleeping on at Nellis. She’d give anything to be in her own bed. She plugs her cell phone into the charger and turns the tv back on, flipping around until she stumbles on re-runs of the Simpsons. She sets the volume on low and puts the sleep timer on, yawning as her eyes train on the yellow residents of Springfield.

In the morning Sam manages to get up early enough to drag her self down to the free breakfast the hotel had before going back to her room to get dressed. She pulls down the items that she’d hung up the night before doing her makeup and hair and leaving the hotel. The GPS talks her through her short journey through town before she pulls up in front of a church, managing to take one of the open spots on the street. She waits for a bus to pass before she gets out of the car and crosses the street. A group of students pass her before she can make her way up the steps of the church.

Once inside the quaint church she takes a look around before taking a moment to gauge the crowd size and take a seat in the back. She watches quietly as the church fills with various people, all of them dressed in dark or black clothing. It’s not until they’re almost ready to begin the service that someone drops into the seat next to her.

“It’s good to see you,” Jack whispers. Sam looks over at him as his hand covers hers and he threads their fingers together. She leans her head against his shoulder and pulls him closer to her.

“It’s good to see you too,” She replies, tears already flooding her eyes. The two of them sit quietly through the service, Jack producing a handkerchief for Sam once her tears start again in earnest. She hangs back with him behind her as they wait for the church to empty. The minister had said that there was going to be a private graveside service later in the afternoon at the cemetery Sergeant Miles was to be interred at and a gathering at his family’s home that evening. 

“Mr. and Mrs. Miles?” Sam reaches out quietly as she slowly approaches the Miles’.

“Yes?” The woman speaks. Sam could read that she was emotionally worn beyond all belief, that there was very little left inside at the moment. She takes a few more steps until she was standing directly in front of both of them.

“Mrs. Miles, my name is Samantha…”

“Carter?”

“Yes, how did you…”

“James spoke of you quite a few times when he would call home,” She explains before eyeballing Sam’s stomach with a wary look in her eyes, “You aren’t…”

“No!” Sam jumps and shakes her head, “No, no, no. That’s not why I’m here. I, um, I worked with your son at Cheyanne Mountain. He spoke about me?”

“James had a degree in physics from the university here. He was excited that he got to work with someone who was such a well known name in the field. He couldn’t tell us much about what exactly was happening where he was working, but every once in a while he would call and just be in a tizzy about some marvel of science that had happened while he was at work and your name was generally in there. Of course he probably could have come right out and said what had happened and I wouldn’t have understood a lick of what he said anyway,” She laughs softly and Sam offers a watery smile, “I never understood much of his science homework past about tenth grade. He graduated with honors a few years ago and got stationed in Colorado last year, he was talking about going back to get a masters when we saw him at Christmas.”

“He never said anything…about his interest in physics,” Sam replies. She’d had a couple brief conversations in the commissary with the young man since he’d been posted to the base, mostly just in the lunch line. Now it made sense as to why he would even approach her, and why he might have been loitering in the halls of level 19 when the incursion had happened.

“James was a pretty shy boy, I’d say that he even talked to you was an improvement on where he was before he joined the Air Force.”

“I wish I’d had the chance to talk to him more,” Sam admits, “But I’m glad to hear that he enjoyed what he was doing.”

“I’m sure you can’t say, but I have to ask…what exactly was my son doing in that mountain?”

“I wish I could tell you, Mrs. Miles, I really do,” Sam offers a weak smile, “I can tell you however that he was an extremely brave soldier and we were all very lucky to have served with him.”

“That’s all I want to hear,” She replies, smiling warmly at Sam before reaching out to give her a hug. Sam stands in the woman’s embrace for a moment, sniffing back her tears before pulling away and offering an equally warm smile in return. The Miles’ bid her a good afternoon before Jack walks over and offers her the handkerchief once more. She laughs and dries her eyes before giving it back.

“With how I’ve been blubbering the last week you’d think I’d already have one of my own,” She jokes.

“Come’re,” Jack murmurs, pulling Sam into his arms. She wraps her arms back around him and holds him close, burying her nose into his shoulder. The two stand quietly for a moment before he loosens his hold and lets her step back, “I’m sorry.”

“Me too,” She murmurs, reaching up to stroke his cheek, “How did you know I was going to be here?”

“I had a strong suspicion you might be,” Jack admits, “My worst case scenario was paying respects to the kid that saved your life.”

“His mom said that he talked about me,” Sam tells him, not sure if he had over heard the conversation, “He apparently had a physics degree, thought it was cool that we worked in the same place.”

“Well I know enough about physics to know that if I knew anything about physics I’d be psyched to work in the same place as you too.”

“He talked to me a couple times in the commissary. I thought he was just trying to chat me up or make idle conversation,” She admits, shaking her head, “I could have done better.”

“Don’t beat yourself up,” He tells her softly.

“I’m sure I’ll probably be doing that for a while,” Sam admits. Jack presses a kiss to her head and sighs as he nuzzles her temple.

“You’re too good.”

“Am I?” She asks.

“Yeah you are,” He nods as he pulls away, “Lunch?”

“Sure, I have no idea where to go, though.”

“I do, provided it’s still open. I haven’t been here in about thirty years or so…probably more towards the or so,” Jack says as he offers her his arm and leads her out of the church.

“You’ve been here before?”

“Sure, Hawkeyes versus Golden Gophers for Floyd of Rosedale. Classic college football right there,” He recounts, “The guys and I used to road trip down for the game, hang out, get wasted…”

“Go cruising for chicks?” Sam interjects with a laugh while they walk.

“Ah, yes, in a sense,” He grins, “But there was this really great burger joint that we used to go to. Hopefully they’re still open.”

“Hopefully. I could definitely go for a burger, now that you mention it.”

“You could or she could?”

“Oh, she’s controlling the whole system these days,” She admits. Jack pulls her to a stop outside the restaurant, putting his hands on her hips as he looks down at her. She rests a hand on his chest as she looks up at him, questioning in her eyes.

“Are we okay?” He asks with concern in his voice.

“We’ll be fine,” She assures him with a nod after a moment, “I mean you flew to the middle of BFE to go to a funeral with me after I didn’t talk to you for a week…”

“Well BFE is actually about an hour outside of town that way,” Jack hikes his thumb over his shoulder.

“We’ll be fine, Jack,” Sam repeats. She fists her hand in his shirt and pulls him down, pressing her lips to his in a deep kiss. They pull apart a few moments later when someone accidentally bumps into them, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”


	18. Chapter 18

“Door’s open!” Sam calls out as someone knocks on the door, not even bothering to try and get up from the couch. She hears the front door open and close before footsteps head towards the living room.

“I’m sure Uncle Jack would love to hear that you’re yelling out ‘door’s open’ to anyone who knocks,” Cassie smarts as she sets her bag down on the coffee table.

“Well your Uncle Jack isn’t carrying around forty extra pounds of weight with a shifted center of gravity, so he can stuff it,” Sam replies. Cassie laughs and leans down to give her a hug before sinking down to sit on the couch next to her.

“You look…”

“Huge? Gigantic? Whale-like?”

“Let’s go with great, but yes, huge.”

“Smartass.”

“That’s why you love me,” Cassie grins.

“Oh so very true,” Sam laughs as she wraps her arm around Cassie’s shoulder, “Where’s your mom?”

“Tricia dropped me off, Mom should be here soon,” Cassie assures her, “She got caught up at the mountain. Which by the way have you met Doctor Michaels yet?”

“Yeah, a little after he started, why?”

“So hot!” The teen squeals, laughing as Sam shoves her onto her side, “Come on, like you didn’t notice. Just because he’s not a silver fox…”

“He also has to be at least ten years younger than me.”

“Wrong direction in the age gap, hmm?”

“What has gotten into you!?” Sam exclaims with a laugh as she smacks Cassie on the hip, making her laugh even more.

“Must be those hormones that Mom’s always on about,” Cassie giggles as she finally manages to sit up, “But seriously though…”

“He’s not too bad to look at,” Sam agrees before changing the subject, "How's school going?"

"Ohhh it's school," Cassie sighs and shrugs.

"What are you taking?"

"Physics two, comp sci two, french four, and rotating between art history and world history," She recounts.

"Sounds like an accomplished schedule."

"Well I figured if I'm going to have a year off I might as well squeeze as much as I can out of it."

"Have you thought about what you're doing while you have the year off?" Sam prods.

"Be a woman of leisure?"

"That's funny," Sam laughs. Cassie shrugs and tucks her feet under her body, smoothing her skirt over her legs.

"I'll probably just get a job and save up some money. I don't do that great traveling alone," Cassie admits, "And it's not like Mom has a ton of free time."

"Well I have a proposition for you."

"A proposition?"

"What do you think about being our nanny, after I go back to work?"

"Being a nanny?"

"Yeah. Jack and I talked and we think that for the first year we'd like to have someone at home to take care of the baby instead of doing something like a daycare. And since you were going to have the time off and you have some experience, we thought we would approach you first before talking to a service," Sam explains, "We'd at least match what you're getting paid hourly to babysit or work at the daycare now. It'd be normal hours for the most part. I mean I'm still going back to the lab when I get done with my leave, but you know how things can be sometimes."

"You want me to be your nanny?"

"If you want to," Sam smiles, "No one's going to force you to do anything. But we do trust you and you are available and I'm making the prediction that you will love her to bits once she's here." 

"All I gotta do is watch her?"

"For the most part, yeah. I mean obviously as she gets older doing educational and developmental things with her. If there's anything extra we need you to do we'll obviously compensate for that. If we need you to come over during 'off' hours or stay for a couple days, we'll try to give you as much of a heads up as we can. Weekends will be off a lot of the time..."

"Are you going to start going back through the gate?"

"I honestly don't know," Sam admits for the first time.

“What if I stayed here? So you guys didn’t have to worry.”

“What do you mean?”

“Like all the time. There are nannies that do that.”

“Cass, we don’t expect you to do that.”

“I know, but I’d offer, if you’d want me to,” Cassie shrugs, “I mean I’ll do it regardless. But if you want me to. I will.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Well we’ll have to set up a time for you to come over when Jack is here and we can hammer out the details a little more. I’m sure he has some crisis scenario quiz for you to take,” Sam grins and Cassie giggles before the two of them look up as they hear the front door open.

“Hellooo?”

“In here, mom!” Cassie calls out to Janet, hopping up off of the couch to help her with the pizza boxes she was carrying.

“I can’t do it anymoreeeeee.” Sam whines from her spot on the couch once Janet gets close enough.

“Whine all you want. There is no medical reason for me to induce you.”

“It’s only twenty three days.”

“Exactly it’s only twenty three days,” Janet smarts back as her and Cassie go into the kitchen.

“It can’t be that bad can it, Sam?” Cassie asks.

“In the overall scheme of things, no it’s not that bad. Right now, it feels like the worst thing ever,” Sam calls out from the couch, “She never stops moving, I can’t sleep lying down, I can barely eat anything before I get heartburn…I literally feel like I might explode.”

“You’re not going to explode,” Janet breaks in, "Discomfort is to be expected.”

“That’s like a doctor answer, not a friend answer.”

“Yeah, Janet.”

“Well my friend answer is asking if you want something to eat to go with that whine you’re having.”

“I think a bowl of ice cream would go well. Thank you very much,” Sam laughs.

“Ice cream isn’t dinner,” Cassie yells.

“Oh, honey I stopped trying to have that conversation two months ago,” Janet grins as she digs through the freezer and pulls out two half gallons of ice cream, “Peanut butter swirl or pistachio?”

“Both, please.”

“Ew, pistachio is so gross.”

“I think pregnant Sam and Daniel are about the only people in the world that eat it,” Janet comments as she dishes out a bowl of ice cream for Sam as Cassie makes them both plates of pizza and breadsticks. The two of them manage to get the plates and three drinks into the living room, Janet handing Sam a bowl as she puts a glass of chocolate milk down on the end table next to her. Sam smiles brightly at Janet before digging out the first bite of ice cream as Cassie busies herself with putting in the movie they were planning to watch. Cassie takes a seat on the other end of the couch as Janet sits between them, the teen chowing down on her pizza as she sets the movie to play. 

After finishing her bowl of ice cream Sam manages to heave herself up off the couch with a shove from Janet before taking her empty bowl to the kitchen and detouring to the bathroom. She drops back into her seat a few minutes later and sighs as she props her feet up on the coffee table next to Janet’s.

“Any plans for Valentine’s Day?” The brunette asks in a low tone, seeing that Cassie was engrossed in the movie.

“Jack mentioned something about dinner, I don’t really feel like going out. And for some reason even the idea of chocolate makes me feel revolting,” Sam grimaces, “And don’t even mention… _it_. It’s physically not possible at this point.”

“Come on Sam, it’s your first Valentine’s together.”

“And I’m 37 weeks pregnant,” Sam points out, “I think a lack of forced romance is exactly what I need. What about you?”

“Cassie’s going to a friend’s for some big, boys suck sleepover party, so we were thinking dinner, maybe a movie.”

“Sounds like fun.”

“That’s what comes after,” Janet whispers with a snort as Sam smacks her on the thigh. 

“I don’t even want to know what you two are over there whispering about,” Cassie says with a roll of her eyes, making the two women dissolve into giggles before they turn their attention back to the movie. The film finishes just as the back door opens. They hear muffled voices and footsteps along with the fridge opening and closing before Jack walks through with Daniel and Teal’c.

“I thought I told you to lock the door. Do you know the kind of unsavory people that could just be loitering out here?”

“Yes, they just walked into our house,” Sam quips back as she takes his hand and pulls herself up off of the couch. She straightens out her basketball shorts and tugs the t-shirt she was wearing back down over her stomach.

“Wait, what on Earth are you wearing?” Janet asks.

“My clothes, and please do not get her started,” Jack answers. Sam levels him with an unamused look making both Cassie and Daniel snicker, and Janet and Teal’c raise their eyebrows.

“What was that?”

“Nothing, nothing at all. I just have no sweats to wear because…”

“…Because I am carrying your child and I am hot and uncomfortable literally 99% of the day?”

“Good time?” Daniel bursts in.

“Mom let Sam eat ice cream for dinner so you missed out,” Cassie laughs, “There was even pistachio.”

“Dare I ask if it was mixed with something?”

“Nothing too wild,” Cassie assures him.

“Pistachio ice cream is one of the few disgusting things on your planet,” Teal’c inputs.

“Isn’t it?” Sam agrees as she breaks her stare down with Jack to look at Teal’c. His brow furrows slightly and he opens his mouth to respond when Daniel elbows him in the side and shakes his head, “Did you guys have fun?”

“Just a normal guys night out,” Daniel shrugs with a smile.

“Normal?”

“As normal as it gets with us,” Daniel acquiesces. Sam smiles and wraps her arms around him in a quick hug, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“Good, I’m glad you got a chance to go out.”

“Glad we got a chance to go out or glad we got Jack out of your hair?” He asks. Sam shrugs and winks at him before wrapping her arm around Cassie as the girl moves to hug her.

“We should get going. I’ll call you?”

“Yeah! Definitely, give me a couple days but then we can work out the details,” Sam assures her. Cassie nods and pats her on the belly.

“Night baby!”

“Thanks, Cass,” Sam laughs.

“I left the leftovers in the fridge,” Janet tells her, “My gift to you.”

“Pineapple?”

“Pineapple,” The brunette nods and squeezes Sam’s arm with a smile, “Come on you two. Teal’c, I think we can give you a ride back to the base."

“That would be most appreciated Doctor Fraiser,” Teal’c agrees as he follows them out the front door, closing it quietly behind himself. 

“How was your night?” Jack asks as he rubs his hand up Sam’s back. She grumbles and shifts uncomfortably, slapping his hand away.

“Don’t!” She snaps before letting out a long breath with a soft groan on the end. He frowns and steps around to her front. He reaches out again and tips her chin up.

“Hey, you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m sorry. It’s just one of those stupid practice contractions,” Sam shakes her head and let’s a deep breath in and out, “I’m fine. Just hot and uncomfortable.”

“Well you’ve always been hot,” Jack grins, “I’m sorry about the uncomfortable part though.”

“Thanks,” She whispers. He leans down and presses a kiss to her forehead, wrapping an arm around her. She stands in his hold for a few moments before pulling back, “I’m gonna go up to bed.”

“I’ll come up with you,” Jack offers, “I can rub your back a bit, if you’re up for it.”

“That sounds heavenly,” Sam smiles slightly.

"Good," He replies before leading her up the stairs to their bedroom. She climbs into bed as he changes into his pajamas before climbing in next to her and settling with his back against the headboard. He pats the spot between his legs and she sheds her shirt, shuffling closer to him. 

Jack leans over to open her bedside drawer, pulling out a tube of lotion she kept inside. He squirts a decent amount into his palm and rubs his hands together to warm it up before starting to massage his fingers along her back. Sam hums and leans into his hold a little more as her eyes close. He works until the lotion is completely absorbed into her skin, running his hands down her arms as he finishes.

"Better?"

"Much," Sam murmurs as she rests her head on his shoulder and her back against his chest. He easily wraps his arms around her and presses a kiss to her temple as he rubs his hand back and forth over her stomach, "Sleepy."

"I've got you," Jack assures her as she buries her nose to his neck and starts to doze off. He waits until she's fully settled into sleep before grabbing the tv remote off of his bedside table and turning the tv on. The volume gets turned down low and he flips channels a few times before settling on sports highlights. He's just starting to doze off a few hours later when Sam gets up to go to the bathroom, taking the time to exchange the gym shorts and bra she still had on for a loose nightgown. She climbs into her side of the bed and looks questioningly at Jack as he tugs on her hand.

"What?"

"Come here," He tugs again. She shuffles closer and he wraps his arm around her, encouraging her to lean into his side.

"You can't sleep like this," Sam protests.

"I'll be fine."

"Jack..."

"I'll be fine," He repeats and rubs his hand up and down her back as he leans down to kiss her, "I'm more concerned about you getting a decent nights sleep."

"You're the one that has to go to work and handle weapons."

"And I've done it on less sleep."

"That's not as comforting as it sounds," She tells him, already settling into his hold. Jack snorts and reaches over to turn the bedside light off with his other hand still rubbing up and down her back. The two fall asleep relatively quickly after that, their heads resting together. They manage to get a decently full nights sleep in before the alarm rings, barring bathroom breaks during the night. Jack reaches over to turn the alarm off as Sam buries her face in his chest, “I don’t want to get up.”

“Me either,” He replies before shifting out from under her as she sits up a bit, “Did you sleep better?”

“Much better,” She smiles sleepily. 

“Good,” He smiles, “I’m going to hit the shower first. Do you want anything for breakfast?”

“Some scrambled eggs sound good,” Sam replies as she swings her feet over the edge of the bed, "Oh, and maybe a slice of leftover pizza?"

“I can do that,” He winks before heading into the bathroom. She manages to push herself out of bed before wandering over to the closet to pick out her outfit for the day. There were only so many things she had left that fit her and she felt like she was rotating through the same four outfits, but she still shuffled through the offerings anyway. Sam plucks out a short sleeve navy dress, laying it out on the bed before she grabs a bra and a pair of underwear to go with them. She looks up as Jack comes out of the bathroom wet with a towel wrapped around his waist, “All yours.”

“Thank you,” She smiles, slipping by him. Before she walks too far away she playfully grabs his towel and tugs it off, letting it drop to the floor.

"Hey!" He yells, grinning as he hears her laughing while she turns the shower on. He quickly gets dressed before heading downstairs, pulling the things he would need out of the fridge to make breakfast. He puts a pan on the stovetop to heat before cracking a few eggs into a mixing bowl, grabbing a whisk to beat them together. Before putting the eggs in the pan he takes a few moments to pull a bouquet of flowers he had purchased the night before out of the fridge, setting them on the table. He grabs a card and an envelope off the top of the fridge and props both of them up against the flower vase before returning to the stove. By the time the eggs and a couple of slices of pizza are done Sam was making her way down the stairs and finishing braiding her hair before wrapping an elastic around the end.

“Does this dress look okay?” Sam asks as she tugs down the hem slightly, "I'm worried it's getting too short."

“Yeah,” Jack nods as he sets two plates down on the table, “It looks great.”

Sam looks up and smiles as she sees the flowers that he had put out. She wanders over and leans down to smell the blossoms, inhaling the scent of peonies and roses before looking up at him, “What are these for?”

“You, for Valentine's Day.”

“They’re gorgeous,” Sam replies before walking around the table to kiss him softly, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Jack smiles back, his hand stroking along the small of her back, “There’s a card too.”

“Cheesy or sweet?” She asks as she sinks into her seat at the table before grabbing the card.

“Ah, little bit of both,” He replies after taking a moment to think while sitting down himself. Sam laughs and pulls the flap open on the card before pulling the contents out. She grins as she eyeballs the hot sauce container on the front that was labeled ‘hot stuff’ before opening the card. When she opens it up she's surprised to find more than just a simple ‘Love, Jack’ inside. Jack starts to eat as she reads, keeping his eyes cast down at his plate as she reads.

_I'll never come close to telling you how important you are to me. I'll never come close to telling you how much I love you. And I'll never tell you as many times as you deserve. All I can do is thank you because you've given me so much just in the last few months._

_You've given me the last of many firsts._

_You've given me faith and hope._

_You've given me strength when I've wanted to give up._

_You've given me love that I'm not entirely sure I deserve._

_You have filled my life with grace._

_And you've made me a better person for it._

"Jack..." She whispers in a thick voice. He looks up as Sam's face immediately starts to crumble as she closes the card.

“No, no, no, no, no don’t cry," He tells her as she looks up at him with watery blue eyes.

"I just..." Sam shakes her head as a few tears roll down her cheek. She lifts her hand to wipe them away and looks down as she takes a deep breath, "I don't think anyone's ever..."

"Sam," Jack murmurs as he gets up from his seat and moves around the table to her side, sitting down next to her. He brushes her bangs away and strokes her cheek before tipping her chin up. She swallows hard as she looks at him, another tear slipping down her cheek, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” She lets out a choked laugh, “No one’s ever said _anything_ like that to me. Ever.”

“Then everyone else is stupid,” He tells her honestly, “I mean it, Sam. You’re one of the most important things in my life. And I really only say one of the most because you’re going to have some pretty hefty competition in a few weeks.”

“You sell yourself short,” Sam says with a smile, “If I’ve given those things to you it’s only because you’ve given them to me.”

“I’m just trying to…”

“You're already perfect,” She assures him before shifting a little closer and pressing her lips to his in a deep kiss. He rests his hand on her thigh, gripping softly as he kisses her back before pulling away and dropping his forehead to hers.

“I love you.”

“I love you too. So, so, so much,” She responds softly, reaching up to stroke his cheek, “What’s in the other one?”

“Ah,” Jack pulls back and grabs the other envelope off of the table, opening it up before pulling out the marriage license they had applied for. She had gotten it into her head by the time she'd gotten back from San Diego that she wanted to be married on paper by the time the baby came so they had picked up the paper from the clerk's office. Yet after they had gotten everything and all they needed to do was fill it out, she'd begun hemming and hawing about it being the 'right moment' even though they were going to still have a ceremony at some point after the baby arrived, “I thought we could finally sign this little guy.”

“Oh you did?” Sam asks as she looks at the document, a small smile playing on her lips. 

“I did,” He replies as he slides the document in front of her, pulling a pen out of his pocket and offering it to her.

“You certainly came prepared,” She smiles and takes the writing instrument out of his fingers, “You want our anniversary to be Valentine’s Day?”

“Babe, our anniversary can be whatever day you want it to be. It can be today, it can be the day we got together, it can be the day we have our ceremony, whenever the hell you pick that out," He grins, "It can be any day in between those for all I care. The important part is that I’m married to you.”

“I have been thinking about when to have the ceremony, for your information. I was thinking that June 14th sounds like a good day for a wedding, don’t you?” Sam asks as she fills out their address before scribbling her signature across both of the lines she needed to.

“It sounds like a great day,” Jack winks before taking the pen and signing for himself. He puts the document back in the envelope and hands it over to her.

“I can drop this off over lunch today,” She tells him as she drops it back onto the table. She tugs slightly on his t-shirt as her eyes drop to his lips before looking back up at him.

“What?” He asks, a confused furrow to his brow.

“Kiss me," She asks. He grins and pulls her to her feet, exerting the effort to lift her onto the table. She laughs as he steps between her legs before pressing his lips to hers. Humming with interest she kisses him back eagerly. When they pull apart for air she nuzzles her nose against him and nips at his bottom lip, "God, I really wish I wanted to have sex right now..."

"I wouldn't say no," He laughs softly, "But I'm fine waiting a couple of months."

“It’s cute that you think it’s only going to be a couple months before I let you touch me again,” She tells him before pressing her lips to his again.

By the time the two of them get to the base they’re almost 45 minutes late as they stroll by the checkpoint on their way down. One of the SFs stops them and lets them know that Hammond wanted to see them in his office once they got in.

“We’re in troublllllle,” Jack mumbles under his breath, making Sam laugh as she leans into his side. They make their way down to the 27th level and pause when they walk into the briefing room and find Hammond sitting at the head of the table talking to Thor as he stands next to him.

“Thor! It’s good to see you!” Sam greets with a smile as she sets her things down on the table before making her way closer to the General and alien. She sits down in a chair to Hammond’s right, draping her arm across her stomach, “It’s been a while.”

“Doctor Carter, Colonel O’Neill,” Thor greets with a slight tip of his head, “It is good to see you.”

“What brings you all this way?” Jack asks as he braces his arms on the top of Sam’s chair, standing behind her, “I assume it wasn’t just because you were in the neighborhood.”

“I have a matter I wished to speak to you about. General Hammond has informed me that it’s quite personal in nature and I should speak to you without the rest of the SG1 team,” Thor admits, “As you are both aware we have been having catastrophic issues with our cloning processes. It has been suggested that we may need to include outside DNA in order to stabilize the clones. We’ve been testing multiple species and haven’t reached the stability that would be suitable. We have however come across a possibility with great potential.”

“And that has something to do with us?” Sam fills in.

“More specifically your offspring. There are varying combinations of DNA between yourself and O’Neill that we believe would help stabilize the clones. We’ve only simulated these based on samples we have in regards to both of you. Only approximately 50% of the combinations are favorable. And females are more favorable than males. Though there were some interesting divisions when it came to simulations of multiples.”

“What are you asking, Thor?” Jack butts in.

“If you were to permit, we would like to request samples of your offspring’s DNA to test it’s validity of combination with our own.”

“Oh.”

“I would like to step in and point out that even though the Asgard are considered military allies of ours, that this is not a military request, but a personal one. And the decision lies solely up to the both of you,” Hammond interjects as he looks at Sam and Jack. 

“I’m assuming you’d need a blood sample?” Sam asks Thor.

“That would be most effective.”

“That’s all you would need?” Jack asks.

“Yes, with a single sample if we acquire satisfactory results we will be able to synthesize the rest of the DNA and begin with test production. We may require a secondary sample if findings are positive, but that would be all,” The alien responds.

“And if it wasn’t a compatible sample, all of it would be destroyed?” Jack asks as Sam looks up at him, “And I mean all of it.”

“If it would ease any concerns that you have, we can destroy the material if it is not an applicable sample.”

“You’re not going to show up in ten years asking for a kidney or anything?”

“No.”

“You realize we won’t be able to give you the sample until the baby’s born?” Sam points out, wanting to shut down any thoughts that they might be able to collect a sample early.

“I do. We have other items to see to in the mean time. We would ask that you send us a communication when you are able to and then we will return,” Thor assures them.

“If you need time to talk this over…” Hammond offers.

“Sam?” Jack prods. She looks up at him and shrugs softly.

“I don’t have an issue with it. I mean it’s not like we have any other scientific means of helping the Asgard with their cloning problem,” She points out, “And who knows if there’s any solution besides something like this. The universe needs the Asgard and if the Asgard need us…You?”

“If you’re okay with it I’m okay with it,” Jack says, “I just want to make sure there’s precautions in place and no one else ends up with their grubby hands on our kids’ DNA.”

“We can assure you O’Neill that your offspring’s sample will be treated with the utmost care and security,” Thor speaks up, “Is this a satisfactory arrangement for the both of you?”

“I think so,” Sam nods, “If we change our mind…”

“It would be most unfortunate but it is your choice,” He points out, “Unfortunately I must be going. I look forward to hearing from you in the coming Earth weeks.”

No one manages to get a goodbye in before the tiny grey alien beams away. Sam grunts as she pushes herself up out of her chair and straightens out her dress.

“Well that was interesting,” Jack comments.

“Never stops does it,” Sam smiles slightly at him, “If you two will excuse me, I have a stack of reports I need to get through.”

Jack brushes Sam’s hand as she leaves before stuffing his hands in his pockets and rocking on his feet as he looks at the General, “What’s on the docket today?”

“Briefing at 1000.”

“Yes, sir,” Jack bows his head slightly before retreating to go change into his BDUs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note that while we’ve detoured into the Sam and Jack’s kids may save the Asgard area it is *not* going to be a super involved piece of this story, and I am not currently considering any special abilities of their kid.


	19. Chapter 19

Sam looks up at a knock on her door around lunch time. She smiles when she sees Teal’c in the doorway, his hands braced behind his back. She sets the report in her hands down and beckons him in with a wave, “Teal’c, how are you?”

“I am well, MajorCarter,” Teal’c nods, “I am inquiring as to whether or not you have had lunch yet.”

“I haven’t, but I do need to go run an errand unfortunately,” Sam says as she looks at her watch before regarding the Jaffa, “Would you want to come with? It’s right by that Mexican restaurant you like, we could grab lunch there.”

“That would be most enjoyable,” Teal’c agrees, “Would I not be hindering the plans you have?”

“I just have to drop some paperwork off at the clerk, it’ll take five minutes at the most,” Sam waves him off as she slides down from her seat before grabbing her purse and the envelope off of her desk, “I’ll meet you top side in a few minutes?”

“Very well,” Teal’c bows slightly before leaving to go change. Sam makes a trip to the bathroom and lets Jack know she was going out for lunch with Teal’c before making her way up to the surface. She signs out before Teal’c appears, now dressed in black slacks instead of his BDU pants with his trusty bucket hat on. Sam holds out her car keys to Teal’c with a raised eyebrow.

“Want to drive?”

“You will have to give me instructions to where we are going.”

“No problem,” Sam grins and hands over the keys before getting into the passenger side of the car. She directs him to the county clerk’s office and tells him to find a spot to park the car, assuring him she’ll meet him at the restaurant once she’s done. She makes her way inside and drops off their paperwork after waiting in a short line.

“Congratulations,” The clerk tells her.

“Thank you,” She smiles brightly before leaving the building. Walking over to the restaurant she steps inside and scans the busy tables before spotting Teal’c in the back. She navigates her way through the chairs before sinking into the one opposite him with a smile.

“How are you feeling today?” Teal’c asks as he looks at his menu, “You seem…brighter than usual.”

“I’m good. I feel better than I have in a while,” Sam replies as her eyes scan over the menu before flicking her eyes up to him, “Jack and I signed our marriage license this morning.”

“Marriage license?” Teal’c asks as he tilts his head slightly.

“Well…” Sam draws in a breath before their waitress comes over. They both place their orders before handing over their menus. She turns back to Teal’c after the waitress leaves and takes a sip of her water, “Getting married here is more of a kind of straight forward legal contract. So you have to fill out paperwork and in most cases someone who has the authority to marry people has to sign off on it. In Colorado, all we needed to do was fill out the paperwork, sign our license, and drop it off with the county clerk.”

“So legally you and O’Neill are joined in matrimony?” Teal’c summarizes.

“Yes, we’re still planning on having a ceremony this summer for everyone to come to though,” Sam explains with a smile.

“That is good to hear,” Teal’c’s mouth lifts in a smile and Sam’s grin widens, “Congratulations.”

“Thank you, Teal’c.”

The two of them enjoy their lunch out before heading back to the mountain. Teal’c hands Sam’s car keys back over as they walk inside, running into Janet at the first elevator. The doctor was wrapped in a grey pea coat with her skirt peaking out from under the hem carrying a bag from a nearby drug store along with her purse.

“Hey,” Sam smiles as she swipes her ID.

“Hi,” Janet lifts her mouth in a small smile, “You guys go out to lunch?”

“Yeah, you?”

“Ah, no, just a quick errand to run,” She comments as she stuffs the shopping bag into her purse before stepping onto the elevator with them. Sam arches her eyebrow at her move before pressing the button for the infirmary, “I know we’re supposed to meet for your exam now, can you give me 15 minutes first?”

“Sure, I could use a handful of Tums,” Sam admits making a face as she also presses the button for living quarters as well. She notices Janet was intently staring at the floor of the elevator as they start to descend, “Where are you and Daniel going tonight?”

“Um, Monica’s,” Janet answers after a moment, her head snapping up.

“That’ll be nice,” Sam comments. Janet nods quietly and Sam catches Teal’c arching his eyebrow at the doctor’s unusual silence. She gets off at the infirmary, letting Sam know she’ll see her in a few minutes before heading down the hallway. Sam and Teal’c look at each other after the doors close.

“Was Doctor Fraiser not unusually quiet?”

“Yeah she was…” Sam agrees, her brow furrowing, “You’ve seen Daniel today haven’t you?”

“Earlier this morning.”

“Did he seem okay to you?”

“He seemed his usual self,” Teal’c informs her as the elevator stops on their floor. They both step out and head down the hallway.

“Odd,” She comments softly. Once they get to Teal’c’s room she gives him a quick hug and thanks him for lunch before continuing on towards Jack’s room. She knocks on the door before pushing her way inside, smiling as she finds him hunched over the desk in the corner with a stack of files in front of him, “Personnel evals?”

“My eyes are bleeding,” He groans. She laughs as she shuts the door before walking over and dangling a to-go bag in front of him.

“I brought you enchiladas.”

“Thank god,” Jack replies, snapping the bag out of her hand. She leans against the side of the desk as he unpacks, “Did you guys have a good lunch?”

“We did, I miss one on one time with Teal’c.”

“Should I be jealous?”

“Probably should have asked that before I turned our marriage license in,” She points out, “Do you have any Tums? I ran out a couple days ago.”

“Yeah,” He leans back in his chair and rummages around in a drawer before tossing a container her way.

“Thanks,” She says, shaking a few out into her hand before popping them into her mouth and chewing, “Has Daniel seemed okay to you today?”

“Daniel?” Jack asks as he starts to eat, “Seems fine, why?”

“It’s nothing, we just ran into Janet on the elevator down here and she seemed pretty off. I thought maybe it had something to do with her and Daniel, but I guess not,” She shrugs before standing up, “Anyway, I need to go. I’m supposed to be in the infirmary in a few minutes.”

“You need me?”

“No,” She shakes her head before leaning down and kissing him, “I’ll see you later.”

“See ya, thanks for lunch.”

“You’re welcome,” Sam offers him a smile and a wink before leaving the room and heading back towards the elevator. She makes her way to the infirmary, greeting one of the nurses when she walks in.

“Doctor Fraiser should be in in a few moments, go ahead and take the bed at the end.”

“Thanks,” Sam nods before heading to the bed indicated and climbing up. She waits a few minutes before Janet comes breezing in with her lab coat billowing behind her.

“Sorry, sorry, I got tied up,” She says as she pulls the curtain mostly closed around them.

“Kinky,” Sam teases and laughs at the look Janet gives her.

“You’ve been spending entirely too much time around the Colonel,” She says as she opens Sam’s chart before starting their appointment. By the time they’re done Janet hasn’t said much more than was necessary while looking over Sam, “The baby is in a head down position, which is good.”

“Which means how much longer?”

“Sooner rather than later hopefully,” Janet replies as she finishes making notes, “Keep the hours short, make sure you’re getting enough rest, but otherwise you’re free to go.”

“Are you okay?” Sam asks as she slips down from the table, straightening out her dress.

“Hmm?”

“You. You’ve been out of it since I ran into you at the elevator. What is going on? You were fine last night,” She points out. Janet sighs and pulls the curtain back, nodding towards her office. Sam follows behind her and shuts the door once they’re inside. The doctor tosses the chart onto her desk with a little bit of a thump before shrugging her lab coat off and hanging it on her chair. She pulls the pin out of her hair and lets it tumble around her shoulders as she rubs the back of her neck, “You’re freaking me out here.”

“When I was getting ready this morning…” Janet sighs and drops her head back as her hand comes down to rub the juncture between her neck and shoulder, “I realized I’m almost a week late. And I’m not a person that’s off schedule. Maybe a day in either direction but literally the last time I was late I was actually pregnant!”

“Okay,” Sam draws out slowly at the outburst, sinking down into the chair next to Janet’s desk, “So…”

“So I left at lunch today to run to the drug store and grab a test.”

“Why didn’t you just use one from here?”

“If I use one from here I have to document where it goes and it ends up in my file. The ones at the drug store are basically the same anyway,” Janet flips her wrist.

“So what did it say?”

“It took me ten minutes to work up the courage to pee on the damn thing. I stuffed it back in the box before I came back and I haven’t looked yet.”

“And I’m assuming that this wasn’t exactly in the plan.”

“Of course not!” Janet exclaims, “I…yes I like Daniel, I could even say I love him. I mean I do, really. But this was…is…it’s not that serious right now, you know? And I don’t know that I’m confident that it is going in that serious of a direction. We’ve never talked about it.”

“Do you want kids? I mean I know you have Cassie…”

“I did at one time. I was devastated after the miscarriage I had,” She admits, leaning against one of the tall filing cabinets she had against the wall, “But I gave the idea of that up for the most part. Especially after the divorce.”

“Do you want me to look at it?” Sam offers after a couple moments of silence.

“How is it possible that this situation always makes you feel like some teenager waiting for your parents to burst in the door?” Janet asks.

“What exactly were you doing down in Texas when you were a teenager?” Sam smiles as she earns a laugh out of Janet.

“Well, my father wasn’t an Air Force General so probably a little more than you were,” She teases.

“Probably,” Sam agrees. Janet sighs as she grabs the box out of the bag on her desk, flipping it around in her hands a few times, “You have to look eventually.”

“I know.”

“And you know that regardless I’m there for you. I mean we all are.”

“I know...I can do this. I’ll be fine.”

"Yeah, of course," Sam nods, realizing she was getting the brush off, standing up, "Listen, talk to Daniel tonight, see if you're on the same page. It'd probably be a good conversation to have."

"Probably."

"Need a hug?" Sam offers.

"God yes," Janet breathes making Sam laugh softly before she pulls her into a hug. The brunette laughs as Sam rests her chin on top of her head, “I forget how much taller you are sometimes.”

“Helps me give better hugs,” Sam smarts before letting go a few moments later, “Better?”

“Much,” Janet assures her before they walk back out into the main infirmary.

“I’ll see you later. Call if you need anything,” Sam says before pushing her way out into the hall and heading back to her lab. She shuts the door behind herself and deposits her things on the counter before turning on a small radio. She checks the CD she had in before pressing play and climbing back onto her stool to resume reviewing the reports she’d been working with earlier in the day.

She checks her watch when she hears a knock on the door before the swipe of an ID and the door sliding open. She smiles when she sees Jack in the doorway already changed back into his civvies.

“That time already?”

“That time already. Doc’s orders,” Jack tells her as he stuffs his hands in his pockets while she packs up and gathers her things, “What do you want for dinner? Anything your heart desires.”

“Anything I want?” Sam grins and shrugs on her coat before following him out into the hall, “I don’t know. Something simple is fine.”

“We could get take out from that Thai place you like.”

“No,” Sam wrinkles her nose and shakes her head, “I was thinking more like a salad.”

“A salad, I offer you the culinary spread of Colorado Springs, and you want a salad,” He goads as he swipes his ID for the elevator.

“A pregnant woman wants what a pregnant woman wants,” She tells him with a grin before stepping into the elevator car with him, “Why don’t we go to O’Malley’s? You can get a steak and I like their house salad.”

“They have a salad there?”

“You are not going to be in charge of our child’s vegetable consumption,” Sam shakes her head as she presses the button for them to go up. Jack grins and wraps his arm around her waist for a moment, tugging her into his side. She laughs as she bumps against him before worming away once the elevator reaches their destination. They make their way to the second elevator, taking a shorter trip up to the surface.

Soon they find themselves wandering into O'Malley's which was busier than it normally was. Jack asks for a table, wandering back over to Sam after getting told that it was going to be a short wait. It's only a few moments later when the host calls his name and directs them to a table for two. Sam thanks Jack as he pulls her chair out for her before scooting into the table. He takes a seat across from her and takes a gulp out of his water glass as he leans back in his chair and looks across the table at his wife as she peruses the menu.

"You ever find out what was wrong with the doc?" He asks as she reads.

"Oh...yeah, just a personal thing," Sam shrugs, trying to throw off an air of nonchalance as she keeps her eyes on the menu, "Nothing serious."

"That's good," He offhandedly comments as she closes the menu and puts it back on the table, "Your appointment go okay?"

"Yeah," Sam nods and smiles, smoothing a hand over her stomach just as their waitress walks up to the table. They both order - a steak and beer for him, a large salad and iced tea for her - before they're left alone once again. She turns around and digs in her purse for a moment before pulling out a card and handing it over, "It's not getting married, but I think you'll like it."

"Dirty pictures?" Jack inquires with a grin as he slips his finger under the flap to open the envelope. Sam shakes her head with a small grin as she kicks him under the table. He laughs and pulls the card out, the grin staying on his face as he sees a dog rolling around in the grass on the front. He flips the card open, taking out the piece of paper tucked inside, and smiles at the inscription she’d written down. 

_Looking forward to more rolls in the hay. Love, Sam_

He winks at her as he closes the card before opening the piece of paper she had tucked inside, finding a printed picture of a gaggle of Irish Setters. He studies the picture for a moment before looking up at her and shrugging.

“I’ve got nothing.”

“I know it’s maybe not the most PC thing, but there’s a breeder north of Denver that has Irish Setters. It’s a nice farm out of the way, but I went up and talked to the people that own the place and met some of the dogs. I put down a deposit with them and thought that once we get settled with the baby and the weather gets nice, we could get a puppy,” She explains. A genuine smile spreads across his lips and she can see an excited gleam in his eye as she looks across the table at him.

“You want to get a dog?”

“You keep saying you want a dog. One of us will actually be home regularly. They’ll basically have the run of the property. It’ll be good for the baby to grow up with a pet,” She reasons, “I always wanted a pet growing up, but we moved around so much. Most I got was a hamster for a couple of years.”

“I…I’ve been wanting this for a while…” Jack admits as he refolds the paper and taps it against the table before tossing it gently on top of the card, “Thank you. You are…quite the gift giver.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Sam asks as she takes a sip of her water.

“It’s a good thing. Definitely a good thing,” Jack smiles before becoming serious again, “I really am excited about this. It’ll be great.”

“Good,” Sam smiles, “I’m glad.”

After dinner Jack manages to talk her into splitting a piece of their chocolate cake before he pays the bill and offers her a hand up out of her chair. She eyeballs the park across the street as they step out of the restaurant, tugging on Jack’s hand as she walks in the opposite direction of their car.

“Short walk?” She asks.

“Whatever your heart desires, Mrs. O’Neill.”

“Oh, I think that’s still up for discussion,” Sam laughs as she looks both ways before pulling him across the street. They make their way to the walking and riding path, moving at a leisurely pace. Her thumb runs back and forth across his knuckles as she holds onto his hand.

“What? Being Mrs. O’Neill?”

“Yeah. It’s a bit of an internal battle I’ve been having,” She admits, “When I thought about this…I always thought about the day that I became Mrs. Jack O’Neill, surprisingly. But I also spent a lot of time in school to become Doctor Carter…I’ve built a lot on being Doctor Carter.”

“I hate to tell you this…you know stop you mid crisis. But you can be whoever you want to be,” He grins, “You’re always going to be a pain in the ass, best second in command, super hot wife mom scientist to me.”

“That’s a mouthful. I don’t know that it’ll fit on my license.”

“You’re accomplished,” Jack laughs, “I’m not going to be offended if you don’t take my last name. I’m still going to call you Mrs. O’Neill just like I’ll always call you babe.”

“What would the SGC do if I told them what a sap you were?”

“Actually let me retire?” Jack questions before shrugging, “I’d just tell them that it was pregnancy induced delusions.”

“Which I’m sure they’d totally believe,” Sam grins before letting go of his hand and wandering across the grass to the playground. She uses the sleeve of her coat to dust some snow off of one of the swings before sinking down onto the swath of rubber. Jack steps up behind her and gives her a gentle push as her fingers curl around the chains. She laughs softly and lets her feet drag against the ground as she moves. The ringing of a cell phone interrupts the quiet and they both pat their pockets before Sam pulls hers out and flips it open.

“Hello?…Slow down. What’s wrong?…Oh…Yeah, we’re not too far away. We’ll be right over,” Sam replies before closing her phone. She looks up at Jack with a concerned look on her face, “We need to go over to Janet’s.”

“What?”

“She…She said she stood Daniel up, and he won’t leave the house?”

“Oy…” Jack rolls his eyes before helping her up, “Kids these days.”

They walk back to the car before driving the short distance to Janet’s house. Sure enough when they pull up outside Daniel was standing on the porch seemingly yelling at the door. They both slip out of the car and head towards the front door.

“Daniel...” Jack reaches out with his voice. Daniel turns around and sighs softly, his face drawn with sadness and confusion.

“What are you guys doing here?”

“Doc called Sam,” Jack informs him as he nods towards the truck, “Why don’t we step over here?”

“Why?”

“Daniel...”

“Seriously?! You can’t think that I’m harassing her.”

“She asked you to leave and you didn’t. So why don’t we step over here?” Jack replies in a firm tone. Both Sam and Daniel recognized the tone and Sam subconsciously found herself straightening up. Daniel looks at Sam before reluctantly following Jack away from the house. The blonde knocks softly on the door once she steps up onto the porch.

“Jan?” The door unlocks and unlatches as Janet pulls it open a fraction, just enough for Sam to squeeze through. Sam closes and locks the door behind herself. Janet was dressed in oversized sweatpants and a tank top with red eyes and a tissue curled up in her hand, “What’s going on?”

“I didn’t show up at dinner. And when he figured out that I wasn’t at the mountain he came here,” Janet explains, “He’s not...it’s not like...I’m not afraid of him. That’s not what this is. I just really need him to go home and just...give me some space.”

“I’ll have Jack make sure he gets home,” Sam assures her before walking her towards the living room, “What happened today?”

“Nothing I...”

“This isn’t nothing,” Sam stops her, “If it’s nothing you suffer through dinner and send him home at the end of the night. You don’t get in your crummy clothes, cry, and not answer the door.”

“The test…” Janet trails off before shaking her head, “Nevermind, it doesn’t matter.”

“Yes it does. You always make me talk...” Sam interrupts, her head tilting as Janet stays quiet, “Jan.”

“Can you just make sure he leaves? Tell him I’m sorry and I’ll call him this weekend,” Janet asks. Sam nods slowly.

“Sure. Do you need anything?”

“No.”

“Okay. Call if you need anything.”

“Thanks,” Janet whispers. Sam stands up from the couch and kisses her forehead before leaving the house. Jack and Daniel were leaning against the grill of the Jeep in silence. They both look up when they hear the door open, Daniel looking back down when he sees her. She pulls the door closed and walks over to them with her hands in her coat pockets.

“She would like it if you went home. She’s sorry about what happened tonight, and she’ll call this weekend.”

“That’s it?”

“Just about...” Sam sighs, taking a little bit of pity on Daniel, “I know you wanna know what’s going on. I would like to know what’s going on. But all I know right now is that she needs some space and a little bit of time alone.”

“Fine,” Daniel grumbles before straightening up and going to his car. Sam winces slightly as he slams the door shut before turning the car on and leaving. Jack looks at her and lifts his eyebrow.

“This wouldn’t have anything to do with what you were nosing around about earlier, would it?” He asks. Sam taps her index finger to her nose before casting a look at the front door.

“I just wish she wasn’t hell bent on being alone.”


	20. Chapter 20

“Don’t worry your pretty little, super fantastically smart head,” Jack tells Sam as he cups her face in his hands, trying to quell the worried look on her face, “I’ll be back tomorrow. The place will either be a dump or Daniel will find something to pique his interest and I’ll drop him off on some other SG team.”

“I just have a bad feeling,” She admits, “I don’t know what it is I just have…”

“A bad feeling?”

“Yeah,” She sighs with a soft shake of her head, “It’s probably nothing. Just…be careful.”

“Always am.”

“No, you’re not,” She tells him. He shrugs and leans down to kiss her. She hums and kisses him back, her hands tightening on his hips. They pull apart from each other and she smoothes her hand over the side of his face before gently pushing him away, “You have twenty four hours. That’s all. Go.”

“I’ll be back,” Jack tells her before slipping out of his quarters to go gear up. Sam sinks down on the bed and runs her fingers through her hair. SG-1 was leaving late in the evening, the day night cycle on the planet they were visiting running opposite to Earth’s based on MALP data they had received. She’d worked out a deal over the last month to stay on base when Jack was going off world, keeping her close to where she was having the baby when she didn’t exactly have a ride if something happened in the middle of the night. She manages to get into a comfortable position and sighs as she closes her eyes, trying to get some sleep.

Sam wakes up around three in the morning and drags herself out of bed to go to the bathroom before wrapping herself in a thick robe and deciding to roam the halls. She stuffs her feet into house shoes before she opens the door and closes it behind herself. Nodding to passing airmen and marines she makes a few laps of the floor before returning to the room and climbing back in bed. She shifts around to find a decent position for her aching back before falling back to sleep. In the morning she dresses in her work clothes and makes her way to the commissary to grab a muffin and bottle of orange juice before going to her lab. She ends up wasting most of her morning away working with their biologist in the bio lab going over a plant sample that had been brought back from one of the recent missions. 

After making her recommendation for how to proceed Sam excuses herself and makes a pitstop to the bathroom on her way back to her own lab, wanting to drop off the files she had in her hands before lunch. She winces and rubs a hand along her back as a contraction pulls tight at her muscles. She’d been having them more often lately, but while none of them had been regular by a long shot she’d been slowly descending into a feeling of physical awkwardness. Just like she felt something bad was going to happen. As she’s walking into the lab her name is called over the PA system by the general and she turns tail to make her way to the control room. She finds the room in quite a state of tizzy when she gets there, surprising for a room that attempted to always be so unflappably calm.

“What’s going on?” Sam asks as she finishes climbing the steps, a little out of breath for such a short climb.

“The gate’s down,” Hammond tells her as he jogs down the steps from his office, “We’ve missed three check-ins so far this morning and we can’t dial out.”

“When was the last successful activation? In or out?” She asks as her stomach drops, no thoughts of hunger remaining.

“When SG-1 left last night,” He admits, "They've been running every test they can think of and trying to dial out on occasion to see if it's just a momentary lapse, but…we’re going on over twelve hours without successful operation.”

"Something else is wrong," Sam finishes, "Have any of the deployed teams indicated that they were in hostile territory?"

"SG-6 is on a goa'uld possessed but not occupied planet, and haven't indicated any hostility at this point. And SG-1 obviously hasn't checked in yet," Hammond fills her in, "Whatever you need to do. We need that gate up and running again."

"Yes, sir," Sam nods before stepping in and trying to take control of the situation. She needed the gate working just as much as he did. The general observes for a few moments before moving back into his office. He continues to check on their progress throughout the afternoon, watching Sam's slow descent into snappishness and frustration. She flings a dry erase marker at the window to the gate room with remarkable speed and her hands clench into fists at her side. She was losing that finely tuned, unflappable control that she usually maintained. 

By six most of the control room has cleared out, people either banished or realizing they can't help with the problem and begging off. The only people left besides her are Walter and a lieutenant he can't remember the name of at the moment. Samantha Carter focused was a force within itself. Samantha Carter angry was a storm that no one currently on this planet knew how to deal with.

"You need to take a break," Hammond tells her as he retrieves the marker from behind a computer and puts it on the tray that was attached to the mobile board. Her fists relax as the emotional wall lifts back into place a little more and she steps forward using her fingers to erase some pieces of what she had been scribbling down, picking up a red marker to fill them back in.

"I'm fine," She waves her hand at a half eaten sandwich laying next to the keyboard of the computer she'd been sitting at. There was also an untouched glass of orange jello sitting next to it. If it was untouched because it was orange or because she wasn't eating he didn't know.

"Sam..." Hammond sighs, trying to appeal to the girl he had watched grow up.

"Don't!" She snaps as she puts the lid back onto the marker and takes a seat at the computer, "You want the gate back online, I'm getting the gate back online."

"And I don't want you putting yourself or that baby in danger doing it."

"I'm fine," She repeats, "I need to get him back."

"I know you do, but he would..."

"No. You do not understand, I _need_ him back," She stresses her tone as she types, her fingers faltering after a moment. She takes a deep breath before she hits the backspace key a few times and resumes what she was trying to input into the system. Hammond looks at Walter, the other man shaking his head before grabbing a printout of something she had requested before the general had come in. She says a soft thank you as he wheels over to hand the papers to her before wheeling back to his own station. The general climbs the stairs back to his office and picks up the phone once he walks inside, punching in the extension for the infirmary.

"Infirmary," One of the nurses answers after a couple rings.

"I need to speak to Doctor Fraiser," He demands in a firm tone.

"Of course, sir," The nurse replies and he hears a few more rings before the phone picks up once again.

"Fraiser."

"Doctor, I need you to come down to the control room."

"Is everything okay?" Janet asks as she tucks the phone to her shoulder.

"I'm worried about Doctor Carter," He explains, "The gate's down, she's been working to get it back up and she's..."

"Being her usual stubborn self?" She interjects.

"Well, yes. But there's something else bothering her. I don't exactly know what it is,” He explains, “She’s being quite…brusque.”

"I'll be right down, sir," She replies before hanging up and letting one of the nurses know that she was stepping out for a few moments. She makes her way down to the control room, climbing up the steps to find Sam standing back at the whiteboard and wiping the surface clean with a dirty rag. Once she has it clear she uncaps the black marker and starts to write again as Walter reads information out to her from the computer. When he's finished she continues to write as her mind tries to make sense of the information in front of her. Janet watches as her hand clenches around the marker and she stops writing for a moment as she takes a deep breath. She lets it out slowly with a pained look on her face before she continues writing again. Sam didn’t let pain through, "Sam."

"What?" Sam replies as she continues to write, managing to fill the board in no time at all. She repeats the same process as she had earlier and erases a few things before replacing them with new information.

"How long have you been having contractions?" Janet asks.

“I don’t know, probably since this morning,” She brushes off as she moves back to the computer, not bothering to take a seat as she types, “It’s fine, they’re not that bad.”

“You need to come to the infirmary.”

“I’m not leaving until that gate opens.”

“Sam,” Janet sets her jaw, pulling out her doctor voice, “You need to at least let me give you an exam.”

“I am _not_ leaving.”

“Samantha Carter!” Hammond booms as he comes down the stairs, “You will go to the infirmary willingly, or I will have a marine escort you there.”

“It’ll only take 15 minutes,” Janet assures her. Sam has to resist the temptation to bare her teeth before she storms off towards the infirmary, the petite doctor trailing behind her. Janet guides her into the room that had been set aside for her delivery and closes the door behind them, “Go ahead and get undressed and I’ll grab you a gown.”

Sam silently undresses and folds her stuff up to put in the chair sitting next to the bed. She takes the gown that Janet hands her and slips it on, swiping her hair over her shoulder as she gets help doing the ties on the back.

“I need to get him back,” Sam whispers.

“I know,” Janet tells her before patting the bed, “Hop on up.”

Sam climbs up onto the bed and Janet pulls out a blood pressure cuff, wrapping it around her arm before starting to inflate it. The exam continues mostly in silence until Janet snaps her gloves off and tosses them into the garbage can with an exasperated sigh, “Well your blood pressure is a little high and you’re about three centimeters dilated, but the baby’s heart rate is doing well, so I’m not too concerned at the moment. How far apart are the contractions?”

“About every ten minutes or so. I haven’t exactly been looking at a clock,” Sam replies as she pulls her legs back together and wraps her arm around her stomach with a wince, “Do you have some scrub pants I could put on?”

“ _Sam_ , you’re in _labor_.”

“And the gate is broken!” Sam snaps, “There are more people out there than just Jack that need to get back, and I’m the only one who can help. So can we please save this argument for another day because I am going back down there, and I would like to go with pants.”

“Sam…”

“Janet. They need to get back. I need him. And he will never forgive himself if he misses this,” Sam appeals.

“I am going to go back with you,” Janet tells her with a firm tone, “And I will monitor you while you work. And if I say stop, you are done and out of there. I get that there are people out there, Daniel is out there…but your health and the baby’s health are my top priority. I’m not going to risk that anymore than I already am by giving into your stubborn bull headedness.”

“Thank you,” Sam murmurs, sitting at the edge of the table as Janet gathers a few supplies before managing to procure a pair of scrub pants that were large enough. She struggles to get them on, but rolls the waist a few times once she does, stuffing her feet back into the flats that she’d been wearing that day. The two of them make their way back down to the control room and Sam plunks herself back down at the computer that she had been working at. Janet makes her way upstairs and meets Hammond halfway in the briefing room.

"How's she doing?"

"She's in labor, but it's early yet," Janet admits, "I'm going to stick around and keep an eye on her. And we're under agreement that if I stay stop, she stops. I know we have quite a few teams out, but those two are my priority right now."

"Of course," Hammond nods, "She did get as far as determining that it was a local problem. If any of the teams need to evacuate their current assignment they can always go to the alpha site. Is there anything else you need?"

"Not at the moment, I'll keep you updated," She assures him before going back downstairs. She takes a look at her watch as she takes a seat in one of the empty chairs.

"Was there anything else you needed?" Walter asks as he stands next to Sam after handing over the last printout she had requested.

"I'm good for now," Sam offers him a strained smile, "Why don't you and the lieutenant take a break?"

"Can we get you anything from the commissary?"

"No, I'm fine right now."

"Doctor?" He offers.

"How about a couple bottles of water, a cup of jello, and I think I heard something about some chicken salad earlier."

"Sure."

"Thank you," Janet smiles before the two men leave.

"I'm not hungry."

"No, but you need to eat," She points out before rolling over closer to Sam. She grabs the abandoned orange jello cup and the spoon that had come with it, starting to pick through it herself, "And who brought you orange jello?"

"I don't know who brought any of it," She mumbles as her eyes stay focused on the screen. The two sit in silence until Walter comes back a while later with two bottles of water and a tray that had a cup of blue jello on it along with a chicken salad sandwich. Janet thanks him and sets one of the bottles next to Sam along with the food.

"I don't care if you pick, but you do need to eat and stay hydrated."

"Fine," Sam grumbles, eyeballing the sandwich before taking a bite off of one of the halves. She takes a couple of more bites before taking a long drink from the water bottle. She rubs her eyes after she finishes half of the sandwich and screws the lid back onto the bottle, "Can we try to dial the alpha site one more time and then pull a diagnostic after that?"

"Sure," Walter nods, taking his seat again before plugging into the computer to dial the alpha site, the gate spinning until the seventh chevron. Once it refuses to lock he shuts down the dial and runs a diagnostic, handing the print out over to Sam. 

Every half hour Janet steals Sam's attention for a few moments, checking her blood pressure and prodding her to finish the food. It takes her an hour to eat the rest of the sandwich and another half hour to eat the jello. The water bottles get swapped out when the first one is emptied. The blonde groans and rubs her hand along the slope of her back as she paces back and forth while they attempt to dial the gate once again.

“Come here,” Janet beckons, getting up out of her seat. Once Sam walks over to her she turns her around and swats her hand away before using her own hands to apply pressure to her lower back, “Better?”

“Yeah,” Sam nods, grabbing onto the back of one of the chairs as she braces her weight on it and drops her head. She takes the next print out a moment later and tosses it on top of the keyboard before reaching up and tugging the hair tie off the end of her braid. She gathers her hair into a ponytail and wraps it up into a messy bun before scrubbing her hands over her eyes once again with a whimper in her throat. She swipes away a couple of tears before taking a deep breath and grabbing the papers again.

“Sam…”

“We’re almost there, I know we are.”

“It’s not giving up if you…”

“Please, just…it’s not that bad yet.”

“Okay,” Janet holds her hands up and moves back to her seat, swaying back and forth with small flicks of her foot. Hammond makes his way downstairs and surveys the scene before asking for an update.

“We’re getting closer, sir,” Sam lets him know as she turns around in her chair, “I think we’ve got two more updates to make and we should be operational.”

“How much longer are you thinking?”

“I’m hoping only an hour or two,” She says, “As long as nothing else breaks in the system.”

“Doctor?”

“I think we should be fine for now, sir.”

“Keep me updated.”

“Yes, sir,” Sam nods before turning to Walter, “I’m going to try to tackle both updates at once, why don’t you take a break? It’s going to take me a bit to write it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, go,” She assures him. Once he leaves she slides her chair back before leaning her torso forward and resting her elbows on the table top space that was available. She buries her head in her hands and lets out a long groan as her fingers curl into fists. She bangs them against the table top before her fingers loosen and she pulls herself back into sitting straight up. Her hand smoothes over the side of her stomach for a moment and she takes another deep breath, slowly letting it out, “Just a little bit longer.”

Sam grabs the papers in front of her and starts to make notations on them. Janet watches as the last little bit of her wall crumbles. Her pauses become more frequent, and she’s no longer able to bury the groans in her throat while she continues to work. After a while she gets up and walks over, putting her hands on Sam’s shoulders before squeezing.

“It hurts, and I just want him here,” Sam whispers.

“Well if you’re saying it hurts with your pain threshold…” Janet comments. Sam lets out a small puff of laughter, pulling a smile out of the brunette, “You’re doing fine. The situation isn’t normal by any means, but your progress is just what we expect.”

“I might take a couple of extra weeks of maternity leave after this.”

“You’d definitely deserve it.”

“I’d like to think so,” She mumbles as she continues to work. Eventually Janet takes her seat again, sitting next to Sam and shaking a cup of ice chips at her that Walter brings back with him. She chomps at the ice as she types, crunching down on almost half the cup before she leaves the new code to upload. Her hips shift out again, rolling the chair backwards as she finds herself laying her forehead against her forearms while she waits, “Dial the alpha site when it finishes uploading. If we don’t get through I can’t do anything else right now, I just…I can’t…oh God.”

“Sam,” Janet calls out softly before kneeling next to her friend and resting a hand on her back, “Breathe, in and out…slow, just in…and out…good.”

“What if I can’t get him home?” She asks tearfully, “What if this doesn’t fix it?”

“You’ve done all you can for right now,” Janet tells her, “But he will come home, maybe not today, but he’ll get back. ‘What if’ is not a game we’re going to play right now.”

“Dialing the alpha site now,” Walter calls out. The group waits with bated breath as each of the chevrons lock, counting down to the seventh, “Chevron seven engaged.”

Sam lets out what could be qualified as a sob of relief as she hears the kawhoosh of the wormhole forming. Once the wormhole stabilizes out Hammond gets on the radio to transmit a message, “Alpha site this is the SGC, please come in.”

“We are reading you here at the alpha site, SGC, situation code please?”

“One-niner-delta-foxtrot-zero-three-charlie.”

“Received SGC.”

“Forget to pay the electric bill again, General?” Jack’s voice crackles through the line.

“How many SG teams do you have with you there, Colonel?”

“We’ve got 6, 9, 13, and ourselves, sir. Contact has been made with 5 and 11, and they are doing a-okay.”

“Let’s turn this wormhole around, and get you all back here,” Hammond comments, “And Colonel, you’ll want to stand at the front of the line.”

“Of course, sir.”

“Hammond out,” He finishes with the transmission and has the wormhole shut down, his worry finally easing when the return wormhole comes through only a few minutes later. The iris spins open and a few moments later SG members start piling through the event horizon, SG-1 at the front, already unclipping P90s from their vests.

“Welcome home, everyone,” Hammond greets from the control room, “Colonel, you might…”

“Jack!” Sam cries out, losing the last bit of control she had on her emotions. Jack’s face drops as he hears her through the speakers before running for the control room, Teal’c and Daniel following close behind.

“Sam!” He calls out as he darts out into the hall, rifling through his pockets for his ID before swiping into the control room and sprinting up the stairs. Janet was standing at the phone talking to the infirmary to make sure everything was ready and prepped. The doctor gives him a look as he rushes over to where she was sitting, still hunched over, “Sam…”

“Oh my god, it hurts,” She whimpers as he helps her sit up a bit before letting her wrap her arms around his neck. He manages to shrug off his tac-vest onto the ground along with his jacket before wrapping his arms back around her and rubbing his hand up and down her back.

“I’ve got you,” He tells her as he presses a kiss to her forehead, finding it clammy as sweat was starting to form along her brow, “You gotta keep breathing, babe. Nice, deep breaths.”

“Teal’c, you mind giving us a hand?” Janet asks, “We need to get her upstairs.”

“I can walk,” Sam says, trying to muster up the strength.

“Trust me you’re not walking anywhere,” Janet tells her before Jack steps back so Teal’c can pick her up. Sam’s hand snaps out and she latches onto Jack’s arm before he can walk too far away, a groan muffled in her throat. He manages to move her grip down to his hand and spends the trip to the elevator walking backwards so he can keep his attention on her.

“This is the part where I tell you I hate you, and I swear to god if you ever touch me again…” She lets out a strained laugh and lets go of his hand, her head dropping against Teal’c’s chest, “Thanks for the ride, T.”

“You are welcome,” Teal’c replies with a low rumble. Once the elevator stops on the floor for the infirmary Janet practically sprints ahead of them as the rest of the group follows at a relatively brisk pace. Jack stops near the door once they get into the room and unhooks the harness strapped to his leg, shoving it off to Daniel. Teal’c gently deposits Sam onto the bed before nurses start to swarm around her. Jack pats his shoulder as they walk past each other, the Jaffa pulling Daniel from the room. The two of them pass Janet as she makes her way back in, now dressed in a pair of green scrubs. She stops them in the doorway with a hand on Daniel’s arm.

“There’s a bag in Jack’s room that has Sam’s stuff in it, can one of you go grab it?” She asks. Daniel felt like it was the first time she’d spoken to him in weeks. Things had been tense between them since Valentine’s Day and they were trying to find normal again.

“Sure,” Daniel nods. She smiles slightly and squeezes his arm before pressing the button to close the door and walking over to the bed.

“So what hard headed, super smart things have you been doing while I was gone?” Jack asks as he sits next to the bed and holds Sam’s hand, not ducking out of the way as she lets go and thumps him on the head.

“You are such an ass.”

“You should have let other people handle it.”

“Then you wouldn’t be here!” Sam yells.

“And it would be terrible if all that work was for nothing and I throw you out of here for antagonizing my patient,” Janet warns Jack as she drops down onto a rolling stool, “Sam, I’m going to see how everything’s going, okay?”

“Yeah,” Sam nods and sighs, reaching up to run her fingers through her hair. She pulls the hair tie out and grimaces as she runs into a few knots, “Did you grab my bag?”

“No, I can go get it.”

“Daniel’s grabbing it,” Janet tells them as she snaps her gloves off, “You’re about a six, so it shouldn’t be too much longer.”

“Six! I’ve dilated three centimeters in five hours?!”

“You’re getting there,” She reassures her. Sam groans and drops her head back against the pillow she was propped up with, glaring at her stomach.

“I know I was telling you to stay in, but now you can come out,” She grumbles. Jack smiles and presses a kiss to her forehead, brushing a few strands of hair out of her face. She leans into his touch slightly as he brushes her cheek before her body tenses and she groans.

“Grab,” He says as he takes her hand in his, grimacing slightly as her nails dig into the back of his hand, “Breathe.”

“I am breathing!” She grounds out before her grip loosens, “I swear to god I’m breathing, but I probably should have gone to those stupid classes that were at stupid times instead of just reading the stupid books.”

“Doc, how we doing on maybe setting up some pain management?”

“I can’t,” Sam mumbles.

“I know you’re a glutton for punishment but you don’t have to…”

“Yes, she does,” Janet assures him as she brings over the strap for the fetal monitor. She slips it behind Sam before fastening it together and trying to position it properly, “The changes in Sam’s physiology after Jolinar left us in quite a predicament when it comes to pain management. The amount we would need to administer to be effective in this situation would be dangerous for the baby.”

“What about one of those blocks?”

“Still uses medication to work,” Janet tells him, “So a cesarean would be very interesting.”

“Shit,” Jack breathes and looks down at Sam. She offers him a weak smile and he leans down. He kisses her forehead before pressing a kiss to her lips, “I love you.”

“I know,” She whispers. He gets up when there’s a knock at the door and walks over as it opens, revealing Daniel carrying a mini suitcase.

“Hey, how’s she doing?” He asks as he hands the bag over to Jack.

“As good as can be expected, I think. It’ll still be a bit longer.”

“I think a few of us are going to hang around until…” Daniel shrugs, “Sam had talked to me about taking pictures a couple of months ago. I have my camera if you guys were still interested?”

“Ah, let me ask,” Jack tells him as he steps back into the room, leaving the door open for the moment. He sets the bag down on one of the empty chairs and taps his finger against the back of her hand, “Daniel is offering his photography services if you still want them.”

“He doesn’t have to stay,” Her brow furrowed in pain and exhaustion, “It’s…god it’s almost midnight and you guys have been gone all day.”

“I think people are staying regardless,” He informs her, “I don’t think Jesus’ birth was this well attended.”

“If a goat shows up in here…”

“I’ll tell Daniel no goats,” Jack smiles and brushes his thumb over her brow, “You’ve got this.”

“Thanks,” Sam murmurs. He leans down and presses a kiss to her forehead before going back to the door.

“Come on," He nods towards the room. Daniel slips by him, camera strap looped around his wrist. He did have to hand it to him, for someone who spent most of his time looking at rocks Daniel was actually really good at capturing people from behind the lens, “Thanks, Space Monkey."

"No problem," Daniel shrugs before approaching the bed, "How you doing, Sam?"

"I think I've had better days," She gives him a strained smile after letting out a long breath, "You really don't have to stay, it's the middle of the night."

"I like to think that we operate on a bit of a time agnostic schedule around here," Daniel jokes to draw another smile out of her as Jack unzips the bag he'd brought in.

“What can I get ya?”

“Can you grab my brush, please?” Sam asks. Jack digs out her hairbrush and tucks it under his arm before zipping the bag back up and depositing it on the floor. He helps her brush out her hair enough to get it into a ponytail before tossing the brush back into the bag, “You think anyone will believe that you brushed my hair for me?”

“We'll have photographic evidence of it,” He tells her with a grin as his eyes flick towards Daniel. He drops back down into the chair by her bedside, taking her hand in his. She curls her thumb around his and rubs her thumb over the knuckle softly, “You’re gonna kick ass.”

It’s just past three in the morning when Jack finds himself sitting on the side of the bed, dabbing at Sam’s forehead with a cool rag as she digs her nails into his thigh. She cries out and her hand squeezes tighter before she bats him away. She forcefully pulls her earbuds out and a panicked look takes over her face, “I don’t feel good.”

“Sam? Talk to me,” Janet asks, noticing the change in her behavior.

“I really, really don’t feel good,” Sam whines as her face pales, she looked like she was trying to crawl out of her skin. Jack manages to snap up the small trash can next to the bed and put it in front of her before she throws up.

“I’ve had a little practice with that face,” He tells the doctor, thinking of the few bouts of morning sickness Sam had suffered through. He turns and hands her the trash can in exchange for a kidney dish. He helps her rinse her mouth out just before she throws up again. Janet hangs a bag of saline and hooks it up to Sam’s IV, opening the line full blast. He frowns as she continues to alternate throwing up with sobbing, “Is this normal?”

“Can be,” The doctor assures him.

“I think…I think I’m empty,” Sam mumbles, tears still rolling down her cheeks. Jack gives her a couple of drinks of water before handing the basin back to Janet, “I can’t do this.”

“Yeah you can,” He assures her in a quiet voice. She sniffles and shakes her head, crying out in pain. He presses his forehead to hers and tangles his fingers in her hair as their noses brush, “I’ve got you.”

“I just want it to stop,” She begs.

“You’re almost done,” He assures her. They sit in silence for a few more minutes as she clutches onto him, trying to ground herself against him. He opens his eyes when he feels her jerk away.

“I really, really, really need to push.”

“Alright, let’s check out what’s going on,” Janet replies as she pulls on a pair of gloves and drops back down onto her stool to examine Sam, “Good news, mama, you are fully dilated.”

Jack helps the nurses get Sam situated before taking his place at her side again while Janet explains what she was going to be doing, “You’re going to push with your contractions, alright?”

“Yeah,” Sam nods with a groan.

“Big breath in, push with a ten count, and then let it out, okay?”

“Yeah,” Sam nods again.

“I love you, and you’re gonna do great,” He assures her while catching her eye, “Daniel keep your eyes front.”

He smiles as he manages to draw a small quirk of the lips out of Sam and an indignant squawk out of Daniel. She swallows hard before taking a deep breath and starting to push. He quietly counts down for her each time, his attention never wavering as her face turns increasingly red and her grip on the backs of her knees tightens. He wipes the sweat from her forehead as Janet tells her to stop for a moment, giving her time to rest against the bed as she pants softly.

“You’re almost there. It's just a couple more pushes at this point.”

“Promise?”

“Definitely,” He nods before she starts pushing again. It takes her two more big pushes before Janet is laying the baby out on the blankets and towels that had been put on Sam’s chest and stomach.

“It’s a girl!” She announces in tandem with the baby’s loud cry.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will mention that the episode Grace has not happened in the world this fic is living in :)

“Holy hannah!” Sam exclaims softly as she sinks back against the bed with a sob relief. Her hands come up to cradle the baby as the nurses help towel her down a bit, making her cry more. They toss away a few of the dirtier blankets before opening the snaps on the shoulder of Sam’s gown so the newborn can lay directly against her skin. A few extra blankets get tucked around the baby for good measure and Sam blinks her eyes furiously to clear her tears as she tries to focus on the features in front of her, “Hi little star, shhh…I know you’re upset. I’ve got you, you’re okay.”

Jack presses a kiss to Sam's head before reaching his hand out and laying it over the one she had on the baby’s back. He reaches out with the tip of his index finger and strokes it back and forth across the tiny shoulders under the layers of cotton. The little girl starts to quiet down as she lays against her mother and listens to her murmurings, “Hey baby girl.”

“We made this,” Sam whispers as she keeps her eyes on the baby. She brushes her thumb over her daughter’s cheek and presses a soft kiss to her forehead, “Sweet, sweet little star.”

“How are you doing, Sam?” Janet checks in.

“Little shaky.”

“Can someone grab her a blanket out of the warmer?” She requests, “Just a few stitches and then you’ll be good to go.”

“Stitches?” Jack and Daniel both pale as one of the nurses tucks a warm blanket around Sam.

“Nothing too serious,” She laughs. Sam reaches up and pats him on the cheek to pull his attention back to her.

“Focus over here,” She tells him. Jack turns his eyes back to her and she smiles at him as her hand drops back to the bed. He reaches out and pulls the blanket back from the baby more and smiles as he sees a pair of big blue eyes blinking slowly.

“She looks just like you, except with red hair,” He comments as he brushes his fingertip over her tiny hand.

“Oh I see quite a bit of you in there,” She tells him. 

“Nah…all you,” He shakes his head and leans over to kiss her softly. 

“Dad, you want to cut the cord before we take her for a few minutes?”

“Yeah,” Jack nods and takes the scissors she was offering, cutting where she tells him.

“Great job,” She smiles. One of the nurses wheels away the tray that she had been using and another takes the baby. Janet helps Sam get situated in bed before taking a thicker stack of warm blankets from a third nurse and tucking her in up to her shoulders, “Good?”

“Yeah,” Sam nods, still shaking slightly. Her nose wrinkles as the baby starts to cry and Jack rubs her arm through the blankets. He drops his head to her thigh and she laughs softly, wiggling an arm out to run her fingers through his hair. The two of them sit in silence for a while before Jack speaks.

“Wonder Woman.”

“What about her?”

“That’s who you are,” Jack tells her before propping his head up on his hand as he looks at her. Sam smiles at him and brushes her thumb over his cheek, “Thank you for making sure that I was here.”

“You’re welcome,” She whispers. He sits up as Janet comes back over with a swaddled up bundle in her arms.

"Can I..." He trails off and gestures. 

“Of course,” Sam nods. He reaches across and takes the baby from Janet, taking the slight weight into his hands. He shushes the whimpering girl to stay on top of the cries that were sure to come.

"It's okay, Dad's got you…yeah it's okay…" The baby stops fussing as Jack continues to talk, looking up at him cautiously as the familiar voice talks in a soothing tone. He gets her situated in his arms and starts to look her over. He carefully counts fingers and toes, brushes his fingers over her red hair as it sticks up in every direction before looking into her wide blue eyes, “How’s she doing doc?”

“Really well,” Janet smiles, “She weighed in at seven pounds twelve ounces, twenty one inches long. Good measurements all around, took her first couple shots like a champ. We’ll do a few more routine tests later in the morning, but for right now she’s good.”

“And hungry I’m guessing,” Jack comments as the baby starts to fuss again, her tiny face wrinkling up as she cries. Sam laughs tiredly and folds the blankets down to her waist before holding her hands out.

“Hand her over, Colonel.”

“Yes, ma’am,” He shifts his hold before handing her over.

“Let’s see if we can’t figure this feeding thing out, huh?” She murmurs. It takes a few tries and a bit of Janet’s help before the baby gets latched on and starts to eat, “There you go…”

“Good job,” Janet smiles, “I am going to go file a couple things, and check on the infirmary. Did you guys have a name for her?”

“A name?” Jack’s eyes widen as he looks at Sam. Had they talked about names at all? He remembered her threatening him once with naming the baby Jonathan Junior. A couple times she’d pointed out nice names when they’d come across them. But an actual direct conversation about names was not popping to the forefront of his mind, “Ah…”

“What about Grace?” Sam suggests as she looks up from the baby, her thoughts drawn back to the card he had given her a few weeks before and the inscription written within.

“Grace?”

“Yeah,” She nods, looking back down and brushing her hand over the baby’s hair, “Grace. Grace Aileen O’Neill.”

“There you go, Grace Aileen.”

“Alright, I will be back in a little while,” Janet tells them before nudging Daniel towards the door, the two of them leaving the new parents alone. Jack takes a deep breath and sighs softly as he watches Sam and Grace. She notices his gaze after a few moments before arching her eyebrow.

“What?”

“Grace Aileen, huh?”

“Yeah,” She nods and smiles, “I was thinking about that card. None of this would have happened without her coming along, at least not for what…a few years yet?”

“Probably.”

“And Aileen was my mom’s middle name, good middle name for a good Irish girl.”

“Your mom was Irish?”

“My family on both sides is generally from the UK area of things. Mostly Irish and English, throw in a dab of Scottish, Welsh, and…German. That’s how my parents met. She was in Germany visiting family,” She tells him with a soft smile, “But her maiden name was O’Reilly. Hence…”

“Samantha Reilly Carter…”

“Did I mention they were hoping for a boy?” Sam cracks. Jack grins and laughs.

“I’m glad we had a girl,” He tells her, “I really didn’t care either way, but…”

“That’s okay, maybe next time?”

“Next time?”

“Definitely,” She grins tiredly, “A dozen more.”

“A dozen?” He laughs again, “How about we start with this one and see where we end up. Deal?”

“Deal,” She nods with a chuckle. By the time she’s finishing feeding Grace Janet is on her way back in with Sam’s chart tucked under her arm.

“There’s a pack of rabble-rousers in my hallway wondering if you’re up for guests,” She asks.

“Yes they can come in,” Sam nods with a smile. Jack gets up from his chair and plops on the bed next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and kissing her softly. She hums and kisses him back for a moment before resting her head on his shoulder, “I’m most definitely going to pass out after this though.”

“You and me both,” He whispers before looking up as people start to filter in. Daniel walks in first with the General and Walter behind him, the two chatting with each other. Teal’c pulls up the rear, surprisingly in conversation with Jacob, already changed into a pair of BDUs.

“Dad!” Sam grins and Jacob pats Teal’c on the arm before making his way closer to the bed. He leans down and kisses her forehead before clapping Jack on the shoulder, “How’d you get here so fast? Who even…”

“George sent a message through a little while ago and I happened to be free at the moment,” He shrugs with a smile. Maia jogs in a moment later slightly out of breath with a bouquet of flowers in her arms.

“I thought you went home?” Daniel comments.

“I said I’d be back,” She comments with a mock glare in Daniel’s direction as she sets the flowers up on the bedside table, “It takes a little while to find flowers this late at night.”

“I can only imagine why,” He smarts back.

“Thank you, Maia, they’re beautiful,” Sam replies, giving Daniel a look. He shrugs with a grin before opening his mouth once again.

“So, I’ll ask - how’s the baby?”

" _She_ is doing very well," She smiles and shifts her hold on Grace slightly so they can get a better look at her, "Meet Grace Aileen O’Neill.”

Maia lets out a small squeak before covering her mouth and blushing, "Sorry. She's really cute."

"I think we'll keep her," Jack replies with a small smile, looking over at Grace and Sam. Everyone else follows up with their own congratulations and comments on how adorable the baby was. Grace is easily passed around to interested parties before being handed back to her father, fitting perfectly in the crook of his arm. Sam gently presses a kiss to the top of her head, smoothing her hair down gently as she smiles at the sleeping baby.

"It is late," Teal'c points out, "We should let MajorCarter and Grace rest."

"Yes," Hammond nods in agreement, "I think we could all use a bit of sleep, it has been quite a couple of days.”

Sam waves everyone off as they leave the room before a small yawn escapes her lips. Jacob lingers back, standing off to the side as Janet pats her foot through the blanket and offers a small smile, "Get some rest. I'll be in my quarters, but you can hit the call button if you need anything."

"Thanks, Janet," Sam smile tiredly, her head leaning against Jack's shoulder as her eyes flick over to her father. The older man waits for the doctor to leave before stepping forward and sitting on the edge of the bed, resting his hand on his daughter's leg.

"How are you doing, kiddo?"

"Physically, I feel like a train wreck," She laughs softly, rolling her head to look at him, “But I honestly don't know if I've ever been happier in my life." 

"Good," Jacob smiles, "She's beautiful. Your mother would have been so proud of you."

"Yeah?"

"Oh definitely," He nods before standing up as Sam lets out another yawn. He presses a kiss to her forehead and straightens up, looking down at her, "I'll let you get some rest and come by later in the morning. I love you."

"Love you too,” Sam smiles.

“Jack, congratulations.”

“Thanks, Jake,” Jack smiles, lifting his eyes from Grace’s sleeping face. The door closes after Jacob departs and he looks over at Sam, “Fading?”

“Little bit…Adrenaline is starting to wear off.”

“Let me lay her down,” He offers. She sits up a little bit more and he slips off of the bed before walking around to the other side, laying Grace down in the standard hospital cradle that had been rolled in at some point. His palm drifts softly over her head and he leans down to kiss her forehead. She makes a small sound and her mouth purses momentarily before a small breath slips out. Jack walks back around the bed and unzips the top of Sam's bag, digging around inside a little bit.

“What are you looking for?”

“Something I stuck in here a couple of weeks ago,” He tells her before successfully retrieving a bottle of whiskey with a tumbler. He sets the glass down on her tray table and unscrews the cap on the bottle

"I bought this bottle when I was in Ireland once for reasons I cannot disclose," He laughs softly as he pours himself a decent shot. The bottle had been opened before and a few shots worth were missing from the top, "I spent a stupid amount of money on it, a decent chunk of the hazard pay I was taking home for that trip. It's from Knappogue Castle. A sherry cask aged blend from 1951 that was aged for 36 years. And when I got home I set it on the mantle and figured I'd open it for a special occasion."

Sam watches him as he closes his mouth for a moment before starting to speak again, “A few weeks later Sara told me she was pregnant with Charlie. That was the first time I opened the bottle.”

“Basking in the success of your virility?”

“Yeah,” Jack laughs as he screws the cap back on, setting it back in the bag, “Kowalski and I each had a shot when Charlie was born. I put it away in the liquor cabinet when we got home from the hospital and just never really had a reason to break it out again. I missed our tenth anniversary, and even though we tried we never had anymore kids. I forgot about it until I found it in some old storage box after we moved. I thought it’d be worth bringing out again for Grace.”

“Definitely,” Sam agrees. She holds her hand out for the glass, “May I?”

“As long as you don’t get the baby drunk,” He winks and she rolls her eyes as she takes the glass from him, taking a quick whiff of the contents. She hums in interest before taking the smallest sip, only letting enough into her mouth to roll across her tongue before she swallows. He takes the glass back from her and arches his eyebrow slightly as he takes his own drink.

“You picked a good bottle,” She comments, the smallest smile on her lips, “We’ll have to make more special moments for it.”

“I will hold you to that,” He tells her before leaning up to turn the overhead light off, “Sleep.”

Sam turns on her side facing Grace and grabs one of the pillows propping her up to put between her legs. Her eyes slip closed as she curls her arm under the remaining pillow, pulling up the blankets slightly. For a few moments the room is finally quiet for the first time in hours. Jack watches the both of them as his thumb trails up and down the side of the glass.

“Jack?” Sam speaks up.

“Yeah?”

“I would burn down the universe for her.”

“I know,” Jack responds quietly. 

The rest of the night passed quickly considering the fact that they’d been halfway through it by the time Sam and the baby had dozed off. Jack jolts awake a little bit before seven thirty, grunting as he scrubs a hand over his face. He checks his watch and pushes up from his chair before kissing Sam on the head and going in search of breakfast and coffee. Her head twitches slightly as he kisses her but when Grace starts to fuss a few moments later she’s pulled completely out of her slumber. Sitting up, Sam pulls the cradle closer to the bed before lifting the baby out.

“I think you inherited your father’s stomach,” She comments in a tired tone as she smiles at the little girl and presses a kiss to her temple, her nose softly nuzzling against her hair, “Oh, I can’t believe you’re here.”

She unsnaps the shoulder of her gown before shifting her hold on the baby and helping her get latched on. She manages to get through Grace’s feeding uninterrupted, humming quietly the entire time. She winces a little bit as she sits up further before laying the baby out on the bed and grabbing a diaper and some wipes off of the shelf underneath the cradle.

“Let’s give this wet diaper change thing a go, hmm?” Sam murmurs. One of the nurses had helped with the first change over night and it wasn’t like she was completely hopeless, but the baby was already fussing and all she’d done was undo her swaddle. Sam bites her lip and undoes the tabs on the dirty diaper before cleaning her up and swapping the diapers out. She remembers to fold the front down as she fastens the tabs closed before picking her up again, “There, that wasn’t so terrible. Despite what you’re telling me right now.”

Sam tosses the dirty diaper into the trash can across the room before settling Grace against her skin and puling the blankets up over themselves. She smiles at the baby and brushes her fingers over the fine hair on her head, taking a few moments to marvel at her before they're interrupted by a knock and the door sliding open.

"Hello?" Cassie sticks her head in before smiling when she sees Sam awake, "Do you mind if I come in?"

"Not at all," Sam shakes her head and the girl steps in, closing the door behind herself before walking over to the bed.

"I had my physical this morning, General Hammond said I could come over for a few minutes if you were awake and up for visitors," Cassie explains as she washes her hands like her mother had told her to, "It's a girl?"

"Mmhm, Grace Aileen," Sam tells her as she gently wraps Grace back up, "Wanna hold her?"

"Of course," She nods. Sam scoots over a bit and pats the spot next to her. Cassie climbs into the bed and smiles as she hands over the bundle, shifting to support Grace's head in the crook of her arm.

“She’s beautiful,” Cassie comments in a quiet voice, tucking the blanket away from Grace's face slightly. Sam smiles as she rests her head on her hand, watching the two of them.

“Think she’ll help you pick up some boys at the park?”

“Oh definitely,” Cassie laughs while Grace wraps her tiny fingers around the girl’s index finger, “So, how’d it go?”

“How’d it go? Subtle Cass,” Sam laughs, “It went well all things considered.”

“Mom said there was a problem with the gate?” Cassie asks, “She looked dead on her feet when I got here.”

“Yeah, we were offline for a little under twenty four hours,” She explains with a lazy hand wave, “Someone uploaded bad code on accident and trashed a bunch of other things…luckily we got it fixed before things got too ‘carried away’ let’s say. But she still didn't make her appearance until almost four in the morning.” 

“You are…I don’t even know the word for it. Wonder Woman,” Cassie laughs softly, “I stub my toe and I start crying, but you’re just over here having a baby and rewriting the dialing code.”

“If people keep telling me that, then I’m going to get a complex. And the Air Force is going to put you through far worse than a stubbed toe.”

“Oh don’t worry, Mom’s told me all of the horror stories.”

“I’m sure,” Sam smiles. The two sit and chat for a few moments before the door opens again, Janet walking through with Cassie’s backpack.

“Alright, you need to get to school. You’ll make second block if you leave now.”

“Oh, alright,” Cassie grumbles before getting up and giving Grace back to Sam. She kisses the blonde’s cheek before taking her bag from her mother, “I’ll come over in a few days once you guys get home.”

“Of course, have a good day at school,” Sam tells her before she leaves, grabbing car keys from Janet on the way out. The doctor makes her way over and grabs the chart hanging on the end of the bed.

“You’ve had some sleep, how are you feeling?”

“Tired, achy, but on the whole pretty good. I am starving though,” She notes, “And I seem to have lost Jack.”

“I've heard rumors of him being in the commissary, I’d expect him back soon with some breakfast,” The doctor notes before giving her a quick head to toe check, “She still nursing okay?”

“Yeah she finished just before Cassie got here.”

“Good, looks like everything is on the up and up,” She replies as she scribbles down the last of her notes, “We’ll be in and out throughout the day. If you like after breakfast we can get you a shower and we’ll see how you’re doing this evening to figure out when you can go home.”

“A shower would be great,” Sam agrees. Both of them look up as they hear heavy foot steps, eyes widening as they see Jack walk in with two stacked trays both laden with every breakfast item the commissary had to offer, “I see you, uh, found some breakfast.”

“Yeah, I didn’t know what you wanted…or how much…so…”

“You just grabbed a bit of everything?”

“Yep,” Jack nods before setting the trays down on her bed tray. Janet squeezes her shoulder softly before hanging her chart back in place and leaving the room, “How’s she doing?”

“Fine, she nursed a little bit ago and Cassie just left,” She tells him as he lifts the baby out of her arms.

“Cass was here?”

“Yeah she had her physical today so she stopped over for a little bit,” Sam recounts as she pulls the bed tray closer, “Is there anything you’d like to lay claim to on these plates?”

“Eat whatever you want,” He tells her. She plows through the scrambled eggs and sausage along with one of the yogurt cups and a glass of orange juice before wrapping her fingers around a mug of hot tea. She cradles it close to her chest after taking a sip and looks over at Jack and Grace. She reaches out her free hand and strokes her knuckle over his hand as it curls around Grace’s swaddle.

“Love you.”

“Love you too,” Jack smiles and hooks his finger around hers. 

A nurse comes to help Sam shower, taking the blonde to the infirmary shower room before returning with her a little while later. Sam thanks her and sits on the edge of the bed wrapped in a robe, toweling her hair dry. She thanks Jack as he hands her her brush. She works out the knots before putting it into a braid and digging through the clothes she’d brought with. She dresses in a sleeveless nightgown and climbs back into bed, sighing as she settles back against the pillows.

“Feel better?”

“Marginally,” She breathes before yawning, “Sleepy.”

“Get some rest, I’ve got her,” He assures her even though it was evident by the way the baby was curled up against his chest. She nods and curls up, pulling the blankets up to her shoulders as she closes her eyes

People are in and out throughout the day and she rests as much as she can. It’s late in the afternoon when both her father and Janet show up at the same time. Jacob holds out a to go bag to her as Janet picks up her chart. The doctor was already dressed in jeans and a sweater, ready to go home.

“What is it?” Sam asks as she takes the bag.

“Wonton soup? Jack said it was your favorite.”

“Thank you! I was…getting a little iffy on the commissary offerings.”

“I figured,” Jacob smiles. Janet makes a couple of notes on Sam’s chart before checking her blood pressure one last time.

“Any headaches? Dizziness? Nausea?”

“No,” Sam shakes her head.

“Any chest pain? Leg pain?”

“Nope.”

“Alright, for the evening I’m going to leave you in the wonderful care of Doctor Michaels. He just got in for the overnight. Provided nothing happens before I get back in the morning I think we can plan on discharging you by lunch time,” Janet explains, “Like today people are going to be in and out every so often but if you need anything at all tonight just press the call button. Some things we need you need to help us keep an eye on - headaches, dizziness, nausea, chest pain, and leg pain. Any of those happen, press the button. The transport will stay on standby until you’re discharged. Sound good?”

“Sounds great.”

“Alright,” Janet smiles and puts the chart back, “I will see you three in the morning.”

“Have a good night, doc," Jack says before the petite brunette leaves them alone. Sam cracks open the soup container and unwraps the spoon that had come with it.

"This smells great, Dad. Thank you."

"No problem," Jacob waves his hand, "Listen, why don't I hit the grocery store tonight and make sure the house is picked up for when you guys get home tomorrow?"

"You don't have to do that, Jake," Jack tells him, "I can..."

"Jack, you're needed here with these two. I can handle getting some groceries and doing a few dishes," He assures his son-in-law, "All I need are some car keys and a credit card with a high limit."

"Funny guy," Jack rolls his eyes before shifting his weight and pulling his wallet out of his pocket. He flips through the cards inside and pulls one out before handing it over to Jacob, "Keys are in my locker, Daniel can show you. Try to keep it under fifteen thousand."

"I'll see what I can do," He smarts before looking at his daughter, "Any special requests?"

"Not that I would ask you to pick up," She grins and he rolls his eyes before heading towards the door.

"You two are made for each other, you know that?"

"Oh, very well aware," Sam murmurs as she smirks at Jack. He winks back at her and makes her laugh as her father leaves them alone for the evening.

Despite Sam’s protests Jack spends another night sleeping folded up in the chair next to her bed. In the morning after they both wake up and he manages to procure another, smaller breakfast for them he groans into his coffee cup as he realizes he’d sent Jacob home with the car and the carseat itself was also at home. He deposits his empty cup on the tray and kisses Sam on the cheek before he goes in search of an airman to give him a ride home. She shakes her head and turns her attention to the baby who was looking up at her with wide eyes.

“Well apparently it’s just you and me,” Sam tells her with a smile as she tickles her on the belly gently.

The morning consists of more exams for both of them, along with a bath for Grace. Sam grins at the goofy look on the baby’s face as the nurse gently washes her hair. Once she’s dried off and diapered Janet comes in with a blood draw kit and a regretful look on her face. Sam gets a couple of samples taken from her before she holds onto the baby as Janet takes Grace’s samples before wrapping up her tiny foot as she cries. 

Sam walks around the room with the baby until she calms down before deciding it was probably time to get her dressed. She hefts her bag up onto the bed after laying Grace down and smiling at her as she digs through the bag to get her outfit out.

“Alright, little star, let’s get dressed,” Sam says to Grace as she leans over the bed. She bunches up the starry romper she’d purchased a few months before and carefully pulls it over the baby’s head. Grace scrunches her face up and starts to fuss again, “It’s okay. You’re fine. We’re doing fine with this.”

“We’re gonna go home after this,” Sam tells her with a smile as she tries to wrangle her waiving arms. She manages to capture the girl’s limbs and gently guide them into the sleeves of the suit. She leans down and presses a kiss to her belly before she pulls the outfit the rest of the way down and does up the snaps around her legs, “There we go, see that wasn’t so terrible.”

“Car and carseat have arrived,” Jack says as he walks into the room, the empty car seat swinging at his side, “How are you two doing?”

“Better,” Sam breathes with a smile before putting little white mitts on Grace’s hands and a stretchy cap on her head, “She got some blood taken and was not a happy camper, but with a little nursing and a bit of a walk around the room…and then I had to get her dressed. I don’t know that she likes me right now.”

“I think she likes you just fine,” Jack smiles, “Ready to go?”

“I think we are,” Sam nods and slips her hands under Grace’s body, quickly transferring her over to the carseat.

“You wearing that home?”

“Wha…” Sam looks at him confused before looking down and realizing that she was still wearing the thin nightgown she’d put on the morning before, “Right. I should probably change.”

“Go ahead, I’ve got her,” Jack grins. Sam digs through her bag and pulls out some clothes before starting to change. He manages to get Grace buckled into the carseat with the straps adjusted appropriately before draping a yellow blanket over her tiny legs and tucking it around her. Jack squats down in front of the car seat and the girl blinks back at him with wide blue eyes, “Good fit? Hmm?”

“Where did that blanket come from?” Sam asks as pulls one of Jack’s Air Force t-shirts over her head.

“Um, home,” He tells her as he stands up.

“We didn’t buy that did we?” She asks with a furrow of her brow as she bends over to stuff her feet through the ankles of her leggings, “I don’t remember it…”

“No, we didn’t buy it.”

“Jack,” Sam chuckles softly as she pulls the stretchy fabric up her legs, “What is with the secret blanket?”

“It was technically Charlie’s,” He mumbles as he reaches out and fingers the edge of the blanket, “My mom made it but he liked the one that Sara’s mom made more so he never used this one.”

“Oh.”

“I washed it and everything, I mean…”

“No, no. It’s fine,” She tells him as she walks around to the other side of the bed. She reaches out and brushes her fingers over the stitching and the soft fabric, smiling as Grace curls her fingers around the edge of it that was near her face, “I like it.”

"You're not..."

“No. It’s her brother's blanket. And your mom made it. She should have it," She assures him. Jack's heart stops for a moment when she says 'brother' and it takes him a moment to snap back into the moment.

"Right," He nods. She presses a kiss to his cheek and smiles at him, squeezing his hand. They both turn towards the door as Janet's heels click back in.

“Hey doc," He murmurs.“Everyone ready to go?”

“Yes,” Sam nods, “I think for once I would actually like to get out of here.”

“Wonders will never cease,” Janet smiles, “I have those samples set aside for Thor whenever he decides to pick them up, and we’re running our own tests as well. You have an appointment with…”

“Doctor Bellman on Friday at the hospital,” Sam recites, "What about that heel prick test thing? Doesn't she need that done?"

"I'll just do it out of the samples that we took this morning. I'll call you if anything comes up."

“Right."

"And we have an appointment in about a month and a half," Janet ticks off, "Don’t hesitate to call with any questions before then, okay?”

“Definitely.”

“And all the paperwork and info packets you guys may need,” Janet hands a folder to Jack before squatting down a bit in front of the carseat, “Bye Grace. Oh look at those cheeks!”

“Back away from the baby,” Jack tells her as he tucks the papers into Sam’s bag before zipping it up. He picks up the bag and slings it over his shoulder before picking up the carseat, “Let’s roll ladies.”

Sam laughs and rolls her eyes, giving Janet a hug before walking next to Jack as they head to the elevator. The three of them get stopped a few times on their way up to the surface for people to offer their congratulations before they make it to the car. He sets the bag on the ground before opening the door to the back seat, “I’m gonna sit in back with her.”

“Okay,” He nods and she walks around to the other side of the car, pulling herself up into the back seat. She lets out a huff of an 'oof' as she settles into her seat.

“You okay?” Jack asks as he snaps the carseat down into the base.

“I have stitches where the sun doesn’t shine, it’s about as good as it’s going to get,” Sam assures him with a soft smile. He winces and shakes his head, drawing a giggle out of her. After checking the restraints one more time and putting her bag on the floor he closes the back door and jogs around to the driver’s side, climbing up. He turns the engine over and pulls away from the gate, driving them home.


	22. Chapter 22

By the time they get home Grace is crying her tiny little heart out, her hands curled into fists by her face. Sam lets out a frustrated sigh as she spits out the pacifier once again and continues to carry on. Jack parks the car in the drive and hops down, opening the back door for her before jogging around to the other side and getting the baby out. He shoulders Sam’s bag as Jacob opens the front door, ushering the three of them inside. The carseat gets deposited on the coffee table in the living room and Sam sinks down onto the couch to unbuckle the baby.

“Lunch time?” Jacob asks Jack.

“Apparently,” Jack breathes before looking around. The house was picked up quite a bit more than it had been before they'd left to go to the mountain, "Thanks for picking up and everything."

“It's not a problem,” Jacob assures him, "Mundane...can be nice sometimes."

"Yeah it can," Jack agrees before cupping the back of Sam’s head and leaning down to kiss her forehead as she gets Grace latched on.

“You need anything?”

“I think I’m good?” She says as she looks up at him.

“Okay, I’m gonna go clean out your bag. You hungry?”

“I could probably eat once she’s done.”

“Alright, after that I’ll put together something for lunch. I'll be upstairs if you need anything,” Jack kisses her before climbing the stairs with her bag. He hefts it onto the bed and unzips the top before starting to unpack the items within. The clothes get put into the hamper and he sets the bottle of whiskey on their dresser next to an ultrasound picture they had framed. He puts her toiletries away and paws through the bag of medical supplies that Janet had sent home with them before putting it on the counter in the bathroom. Once he finishes he tosses the bag into their closet before going back downstairs, “I put most of the stuff away, but there were a few things that I found confusing and felt relatively disgusted holding, so I just left them on the bathroom counter."

"Thank you," She smiles and reaches up to pat him on the cheek. He presses a kiss to her palm and winks.

"What do you want for lunch?”

“Cheese.”

“Cheese?”

“Yeah, I don’t care what, just something with cheese on it please," She begs softly.

“I can do that, you doing okay?” He asks. Sam nods and flashes a smile at him before he heads into the kitchen. He pokes through the fridge and the cupboards before pulling stuff down to start making lunch. It doesn’t take him too long to throw together a few grilled cheese sandwiches and some tomato soup. He stacks three up and cuts them diagonally down the middle before putting them onto a plate and filling a chili bowl with the soup as Jacob comes in the back door and hangs up his coat, “Leftovers are on the stove, help yourself.”

“Thanks,” Jacob replies as he reaches up to grab a plate out of the cupboard. Jack carries the plate and the bowl into the living room, setting them down on the table before grabbing the carseat and carrying it over to sit by the door.

“Can you take her for a second?” Sam asks when he walks back in, “I need to...clean up.”

“Yeah of course, come’re little star,” He murmurs, leaning down to take the baby from her. Grace lets out a big yawn as he gets her settled in his arms. Sam pushes herself up off the couch before going upstairs. He sinks down onto the couch and presses a kiss to Grace’s forehead as she curls up against him, his hand rubbing up and down her small back. Sam returns a little later wrapped in a flannel robe having changed her t-shirt out for one of the nursing tank tops she'd purchased. He smiles when she sits down next to him and pulls her feet up, showing her toes encased in a pair of purple fuzzy socks he’d gotten her for Christmas, “Good?”

“As it’ll get,” She tells him as she braces a hand on his leg before leaning forward to grab a half of a sandwich.

“Eat whatever you want.”

“Thank you,” Sam breathes before taking a huge bite out of the sandwich in her hand.

By eight that evening Sam groans as she sinks down to sit on her side of the bed. Her skin was still mostly damp from her shower and her hair was wrapped up in a towel that was coming undone. The only thing she was wearing were the disposable underwear that Janet had sent her home with. Jack lays Grace down in the cradle at the foot of their bed and presses a kiss to her head before standing up and looking at his wife.

“She doesn’t do anything," Sam groans as she pulls the towel away from her hair.

“Is that ‘she doesn’t do anything’ she’s no fun, or ‘she doesn’t do anything’ why am I so tired?”

“The second one," She laughs softly, looking up as he walks over to her side of the bed.

“Sam…” Jack murmurs, sinking down on the edge of the mattress next to her. He rubs his hand over her back and rests his palm on her hip as he wraps an arm around her, “She may not be doing anything, but you are doing a lot. You’ve been feeding her, and pumping, and your body is trying to heal.”

“I’m so tired. I feel terrible,” She whispers and leans her head against his shoulder.

“I know. Get dressed, get comfy, and get some rest. I can feed her the next time she gets up.”

“I love you,” She mumbles as she turns her head into his shoulder. She takes a deep inhale of his scent before sitting up and offering him a tired smile. He smiles back and kisses her softly.

“I love you too,” He replies before standing up. She gets up a moment later and grabs a few pieces of clothing before going to the bathroom to get dressed and finish getting ready for bed. Jack takes the time to turn the bed down for her before changing into his own pajamas. She comes out dressed in a dark purple nightgown, her hair loose around her shoulders as she leans over the cradle and presses a kiss to Grace’s forehead. The baby’s nose wrinkles slightly as the blonde hair brushes across her face before relaxing when her mother pulls away. Sam climbs into bed and pulls the blankets up as she lets out a happy sigh, looking at Jack, “Can I get you anything?”

“Not right now, just get in with me.”

“Yes ma’am,” Jack smiles, turning most of the lights off except for a low night light they had purchased in anticipation of having the baby sleep in their room. He climbs into bed next to her and snuggles up close to her, spooning up to her back as his arm wraps around her, just under her breasts, “Okay?”

“Perfect,” She lifts his hand to her mouth for a moment and presses a kiss to his palm before letting it go and closing her eyes. It doesn’t take long for her to fall asleep and he slips off into a light doze until the first signs of snuffling from Grace. He looks at the alarm clock before he slips away from Sam and walks over to the cradle, lifting the baby out. She gets settled into the crook of his arm while he stops in the nursery and grabs a few things before continuing downstairs.

Once in the kitchen Jack drops the contents of his free hand onto the kitchen table before getting a packet of breastmilk out of the fridge. He puts a small soup pan half full of water onto the stove and turns the burner on high to warm it up, pacing the kitchen with Grace as he waits. He dunks a knuckle into the water after a few moments before turning the heat off and putting the baggie of milk in to warm up.

“Alright, let’s see what we can do about your soggy drawers,” He murmurs before taking her into the living room so he can lay her out onto the couch to change her diaper. She spits out the pacifier that had been in her mouth and starts to cry as he wipes her down. Jack shushes her as he puts the new diaper on and wraps her back up in her swaddle, “Shhh…you’re okay.”

Jack winces as she lets out a particularly loud screech right next to his ear on the way to the kitchen as if to tell him ‘no I’m not fine’. He presses a kiss to her temple and grabs a bottle down from the cupboard before retrieving the baggie from the water. It takes a little expert maneuvering to get the bottle full and get the cap on before he gives it a firm shake and offers it to the baby. She shakes her head away a few times before latching on and starting to eat. Jack sighs as he collapses into the recliner in the living room.

By the time morning rolls around Jack's exhausted and Sam is about 65 miles beyond that. It seemed crazy that exhaustion would happen so easily considering how much experience they had operating on minimal sleep in the Air Force. Somehow by introducing the needs of a newborn all of that experience went out the window. She manages to make it through most of the morning before groaning as she drops her head onto the kitchen table begging him to call Janet.

The doctor shows up closer to lunch time with a med kit and a grocery bag from a local pharmacy. Jack directs her upstairs to the bedroom where Sam was curled up and looking absolutely miserable. Grace was laying asleep next to her on the bed as her mother held onto her hand. Janet offers a warm smile and sets her things down by Sam’s feet before pushing up the sleeves of her sweatshirt.

"How are you feeling?"

"Terrible. My stomach is killing me and I feel like I'm going to bleed out."

"Well for one I can tell you I wouldn't have sent you home if I thought you were going to bleed out," Janet tells her with a small smile as she sits on the edge of the bed, "So tell me a little more about your symptoms."

Sam takes a few minutes to tell her in more detail what she'd been feeling and Janet gives her a quick once over before sighing as she sits down again, "So?"

"Your bleeding isn't concerning. And the contractions are normal, though they do tend to get worse when you're actively breastfeeding," Janet explains, "I can give you something for both things. The ergometrine will cause more contractions, but with that the pain medication will probably only bring you back down to what you're feeling now based on the amount I can give you. The bleeding should simmer down a bit more over the next couple of days as you continue to contract, but your uterus is trying to get back down to its regular size again in addition to stemming that blood flow.”

“What would you suggest?”

“I have found that if you take one of the ergometrine every eight hours and half of one of the Tylenol 3s every six hours you should feel decent.”

“Tylenol 3?”

“The ones I prescribed are very low opiate by the time you halve them, so they’ll be fine for breastfeeding for a couple of days, until you get over the hump,” She assures her, “On top of that, using a heating pad can also help, or a gentle stomach massage.”

“For how long?”

“You’re a healthy, fit woman,” Janet grins and winks, “I filled enough for two days, we can see how you’re feeling then. In my experience it should get you through the worst of it.”

“In your experience? Hmm?” Sam arches her eyebrow as Janet unpacks the meds from the bag from the pharmacy. She sets the two pill bottles on the bedside table and pulls her knee up onto the bed.

“I suppose I probably deserve that.”

“Just a little bit considering you’ve gone practically awol the last three weeks.”

“What did you expect me to do?”

“I would have stayed! I would have had Jack and Daniel go home and I would have stayed.” 

“To what? Console me? I didn’t look at that test until I was getting ready to leave the base and by the time I got home I was doubled over in pain,” The doctor sighs and looks down at her hands, she picks at her thumbnail and bites her lip, “I just wanted to be alone. I’ve never been so grateful that Cassie was at a friend’s house and that I’d just stocked up on wine.”

“What about after?” Sam prods softly.

“You were nine months pregnant!” Janet half exclaims as her head snaps up.

“That doesn’t mean I can’t be your friend.”

“You had what I wasn’t going to have.”

“Jan…” Sam whispers.

“I know it’s petty. I just wanted…I needed space away from you and I feel terrible saying that.”

“It’s not petty and don’t…don’t feel bad. I'm sorry...” She says and reaches her hand out, wrapping her fingers around Janet’s hand. The brunette turns her hand over and their fingers thread together automatically. She sighs softly and squeezes Sam’s hand before looking over at the sleeping baby.

“How’s she doing?”

“She’s really good,” Sam replies with a soft smile, “She’s pretty quiet for the most part if we keep her fed.”

“That’s good,” Janet laughs softly. The two of them look up as Jack knocks on the door jam before stepping into the bedroom, holding a mug of tea out to Sam. She lets go of her hold on Grace and reaches up to take it from him, taking a small sip before putting it on her bedside table.

“What’s up?” She asks.

“I gotta run to the mountain for a bit. Hammond needs my mission report,” He sighs as he stuff his hands into the pockets of his jeans, “Are you gonna be okay if I head in for a couple hours?”

“Um, yeah. Should be,” Sam nods and Janet looks up at Jack.

“I’ve got the day off. I’ll stay for a little bit,” She offers before looking at Sam, “If you want company."

“That’d be great,” Sam smiles.

“Great,” Jack replies, leaning across the bed to kiss Sam on the forehead before doing the same to Grace, “I’ll be as quick as I can.”

“Okay, love you.”

“Love you too,” He winks before heading back downstairs.

“So…” Janet drawls after the back door shuts, “Snacks?”

“The kitchen is pretty stocked, help yourself to whatever."

“And hotpad?”

“Bathroom closet,” Sam waves towards the ensuite. Janet pats her on the thigh and nods towards the meds on her bedside table as she stands up.

“Go ahead and take those pills and I’ll be right back,” She tells her before disappearing downstairs herself. She returns a few minutes later with a bag of chips tucked under her arm, a small bowl of M&Ms, and her own mug. She deposits everything on the bedside table and goes into the bathroom to retrieve the heating pad. Once she comes back with it she finds a place to plug it in before turning it on low and holding it out to her friend.

“Thanks,” Sam replies and pulls the blanket up before draping it across her stomach with a soft sigh. She pulls Grace a little closer to her as Janet climbs up onto Jack’s side of the bed and sets the snacks between them.

“What’s on?”

“So far I’ve found Law and Order reruns…Golden Girls reruns…and there’s a horror movie that looks interesting starting on HBO in 10 minutes.”

“I could do a scary movie,” Janet shrugs and undoes the clip on the bag of chips, carefully unrolling the bag so she doesn’t wake the baby.

“Works for me,” Sam agrees as she turns the channel before reaching out and turning her bedside light off, leaving the room bathed in the glow of the tv and Grace’s nightlight. Halfway through the movie she falls asleep and rolls onto her side with her hand on the baby’s belly, leaving Janet to finish the movie by herself. 

By the time the movie is over Sam’s softly snoring and Grace is starting to wiggle in the loose swaddle she was in. Janet carefully moves Sam’s hand away before slipping off of the bed and picking up the baby, shushing her as she makes a small sound. She carries her downstairs and into the kitchen before putting her in the recliner seat that was sitting on the table and busying herself with warming up some of the breastmilk that she’d seen in the fridge earlier. After the bottle’s warmed and put together she takes Grace into the living room and settles down on the recliner to feed her. Halfway through the bottle she looks up as she hears the back door open and footsteps in the kitchen.

“In here,” She calls out quietly and smiles at Jack when he walks in.

“Hey, where’s Sam?”

“She fell asleep while we were watching TV. I thought I’d leave her be.”

“She could use it,” He says as he sinks down on the couch facing her, “How’s she doing?”

“Everything she’s going through is normal. I’m surprised that the discomfort is bothering her considering it was her first pregnancy but regardless I gave her a couple scrips to help. Just a couple days worth and then I’ll pop back by and see how she’s doing.”

“Thanks for coming,” He tells her, “I’ve never seen her…she looked so miserable when I called.”

“She’s tough, but even the toughest get a little run down sometimes,” She shrugs with her free shoulder. She finishes feeding Grace and burps her before smiling as she teasingly presses the tips of their noses together, “Oh you are going to be a genius little heart breaker.”

“I’d say I need to start going to the batting cages to get back in form. But then I remember her mother is a hell of a shot,” Jack laughs softly and Janet grins before pushing herself up out of the chair. She hands the baby over to him and sets the empty bottle on the side table, “How are things with Daniel?”

“They’re…things,” She shrugs with a tentative smile, “We’re supposed to have dinner tonight. We’ll see how it goes.”

“If you need anything…”

“Thanks,” She nods, “Call me if anything changes with Sam, otherwise like I said I’ll stop by in day after tomorrow.”

“Have a good night,” He tells her as she gathers her things before leaving the house. He sighs and looks down at Grace, patting her back softly, “How about we go check on your mom hmm?”

When Janet stops back by a couple of days later Sam greets her at the door with a tired smile and lets her in, wrapping her arms around herself as the doctor shrugs her coat off and hangs it up on one of the hooks.

"How have you been feeling?"

"It's been better today," She tells her as they walk further into the house and automatically head for the kitchen, "Drink?"

"I'll get it, you sit," Janet directs her with a wave towards the table before grabbing the kettle and starting to fill it with water, "How did the last two days go?"

"I finished both of the meds. So far today all I've taken is some regular Tylenol and I don't feel too terrible."

"How's the bleeding?"

"It's better I would say, not as bad."

"Good," Janet smiles as she turns the burner on, "Where's Grace?"

"With my dad," She says as she pulls one of her feet up under her body, "She has him wrapped around her finger."

"I bet. How has nursing been going?"

"Pretty well. She mostly nurses, Jack or my dad gives her a bottle every once in a while. I pump what I can.”

"What about your appetite?"

"It's dropped a bit since I gave birth."

"But..."

"I'm still eating," Sam smiles, "I promise."

"Just keep in mind that you do burn calories while nursing, and you need to stay hydrated," The doctor points out before turning off the burner as the kettle starts to whistle. She fills two prepped mugs with the hot water and brings them over to the table, setting one in front of Sam before taking a seat across from her, "How about your mood?"

"I'm exhausted."

"That's to be expected," Janet placates, "What else?"

"I...It doesn't necessarily feel like I thought it would."

"How do you mean?"

"I love her. I would go to the edges of universe for her. I feel the ferocity...but a lot of the time I feel..."

"...flat?"

"For the most part," Sam agrees and looks down at the cup of tea in front of herself. She rubs her thumb along the lip before lifting it and taking a sip, "The rest of the time I feel all over the place."

"Any feelings of hurting yourself?"

"No."

"Any feelings of hurting Grace?"

“God no."

"The 'baby blues' is very common after birth. Hormones are changing, and you had a relatively stressful time while you were in labor," Janet explains, "It can come and go throughout the day and can last up to two weeks. Anything longer than that would generally be considered postpartum depression. It's not too big of a concern unless you have any feelings of self harm or harming Grace."

“And making it better?"

"Talk about how you're feeling. I can listen, I'm sure Jack would listen, or your dad while he's here. If you need to, take time away from the baby. I know it's cold outside but take a blanket out back and take twenty minutes to yourself," She suggests.

"Seems like a crock doesn't it? Generally having one of the happiest moments of your life and then getting seriously depressed afterwards."

"The finer points of the human brain."

"Right?" Sam laughs and takes a drink of her tea, "How about you?"

"I am...finally feeling a little more normal."

"Yeah?"

"Daniel and I had a bit of a heart to heart the other night. We were pretty honest," Janet shrugs and sighs softly, "We love each other and we enjoy being friends. The sex is pretty damn good. But it seems like at the end of it all we had different expectations about where our relationship should have been going..."

"What was the difference?"

"Surprisingly Daniel was interested in something pretty casual at least by my standards. And if I'm being honest with myself and I'm going to actively be in a relationship, I want something more serious. I'm not completely jaded by my last marriage and Cassie's flying the coop soon. I don't know that I want someone in the way that Daniel and I were working together," She gestures, "Am I making any sense?"

"Slightly," Sam smothers a grin.

"What I'm trying to say is that I would be fine being alone. I would be fine having something on the side occasionally. I would also be fine with a more serious relationship. But we were existing in this odd in between of serious and side piece, and I liked it when we were doing it. It's just...I don't feel like it was sustainable to long term."

"It's good that you guys were honest with each other. What's going to happen...elsewhere, I suppose?" Sam asks, thinking about the mountain and when the group would get together.

"We just keep doing what we've been doing," Janet shrugs.

"Works for me," Sam grins making Janet laugh.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little deep, little funny, little cute. Enjoy!

It takes Sam and Jack a little time to find some semblance of a routine. Jack finds himself taking Grace over the evening with Sam getting up with him a couple of times to pump. They easily pass her back and forth throughout the day, but Jacob takes her for at least one feeding to give them a small break. They drop Jacob off at the airport on the way to their appointment with the pediatrician Friday morning. He found himself with a little extra time planet side and decided to take advantage and visit Mark.

The pediatrician appointment goes off without a hitch and they stop on the way home to grab a to-go order from their favorite deli, Jack ducking into the restaurant as the girls stay in the car. Once they get home he carries the baby into the house as she carries the food, both being set down on the table in the kitchen. She undoes the straps holding Grace in and presses a kiss to her forehead as she tucks the yellow blanket a little more around her.

"What do you want to drink?" Jack asks as he tugs the door to the fridge open.

"I wouldn't turn my nose up at a chocolate milk," Sam flutters her eyelashes at him playfully as she sits down and starts to unpack their food. Jack fills a glass most of the way with milk before squeezing in chocolate syrup and using a long spoon to stir the two together before licking it off as he sets it on the table in front of her. He pours his own glass of plain milk before taking a seat at the table across from her.

"What do you think about getting a movie tonight?" He asks as he unwraps his sandwich, "I can run out later and pick something up."

"Sure, what's out?" She asks before taking a bite of her own sandwich. He lists off a few movies he could think of off the top of his head. She opens her mouth to respond and he holds his finger up.

"Ah, we are not getting the Day After Tomorrow. You can watch that one on your own and tear apart how scientifically inaccurate it is."

"Okay, fine," She grins, "Why don't you get Troy, the...thriller one - Sixth Sense guy, and whatever you want. Might as well get a few."

"Pizza? It's right by the Blockbuster if I go to the one on Oakton."

"Sure, I'm probably just going to do plain though," She tells him after swallowing.

"Just cheese? What happened to all the toppings under the sun with an extra helping of jalapeños?"

"I gave birth to it," She nods towards the baby, "I'm sweating just thinking about eating hot peppers right now."

Jack grins down at his sandwich before continuing with his lunch. They both look up at a knock on the door and he scoots his chair back, dusting off his fingers on his jeans before walking through the house to answer it. He looks through the peephole and opens the door, assaulted with a bouquet of flowers in the face. He signs for the order before bringing them back to the kitchen.

"Oh, that's...those are very pink," Sam observes as he sets them down on the counter. He plucks a card out of the holder and brings it over to the table, holding it out to her.

"I assume they are for you."

"Probably," Sam murmurs as she flips the small envelope open and pulls out the card inside. They'd received a quite a few bouquets during the week and had stashed them around the house. None of them had been quite so pink though, "They're from the President and First Lady. Congratulating us on our new addition."

"Nice of them," Jack comments. Sam nods and puts the card back, dropping it onto the table.

"It is," She agrees with a small smile. After they finish lunch she cleans up their mess and warms up a bottle before holding it out to her husband, "Do you mind?"

"Not at all," He shakes his head.

"I'm going to go upstairs and pump," She tells him, pressing a kiss to his forehead as she reaches out and strokes Grace's foot before heading towards the staircase. Upstairs she grabs a book off of her bedside table and the glass of water she had from the night before, detouring back out to the nursery. She sinks down into the overstuffed rocking chair with a soft sigh and gets set up before opening her book and starting to read.

Once finished she cleans up and fixes her clothes before taking the bottles downstairs and filling the baggies they had. She scribbles the date on them before putting them into the freezer and getting to work on washing the bottles. When she's done she turns off the lights and goes in search of Jack and Grace, smiling when she finds them in the living room passed out on the couch. She sinks down next to the two of them before stretching out and laying her feet in Jack's lap with her head on the throw pillow propped up against the arm. She pulls the blanket off of the back of the couch and sighs as she closes her eyes. She'd never been so tired in her life.

Later in the evening Jack tosses his keys up and down as he stands in front of Sam who was curled up in the corner of the couch. Grace was snoozing in the transportable cradle they'd decided to keep in the living room.

"So. Pizza and movies. Cheese and Brad Pitt and mental thriller. Anything else?"

"No," She shakes her head.

"Okay, I shouldn't be too long. Call..."

"If I need anything," She finishes with a small smile. He kisses her head before heading for the back door. Sam pulls the blanket up over her legs before grabbing her book and using the remote to turn the stereo on.

When she hears the back door open again almost an hour later she's just flipping through the last few pages of her book. She keeps reading until she closes the back cover, setting the item on the side table as Jack breezes into the living room with a jumbled stack of items balanced on one hand and a two liter of soda dangling out of the other.

"I could have helped," She tells him as she sits up. He waves her off and leans down to put the boxes on the coffee table.

"I got it," He assures her. He sets the drink glasses down on the table along with a roll of paper towels and two plates. He holds the movies out to her, "I got Troy, the Village, National Treasure, and the Day After Tomorrow. For your viewing pleasure."

"Thank you," She smiles as she flips through the dvd cases. He grabs the last item off the top of the pizza boxes and turns around, holding it out to her. She eyeballs the jewelry box he was holding out to her before setting the dvds down and reaching out to take the proffered object.

"Got you something else."

"They don't sell jewelry at the movie store. Last I checked," She points out.

"No, they don’t. I had to wait until she got here to make sure I got the right one,” Jack explains with a shrug. Sam arches her eyebrow before using her thumb to flip the box open. The inside reveals a thin silver bracelet with a single aquamarine stone on it. A small smile slips over her lips and she closes the box before looking back up at her husband, “It's beautiful."

"You like it?"

"I do. Thank you," She nods and sets the box down on her lap before crooking her finger at him, beckoning him closer. He leans in towards her and she leans forward to meet him, capturing his lips in a kiss. Jack smiles and kisses her back softly before pulling away and winking at her.

"Love you."

"Love you back," She smiles, "Put it on?"

"Sure," He agrees, sitting on the edge of the coffee table. He takes the item out of the box before fastening it around her wrist. She shakes her hand slightly and smiles as the chain and stone lie delicately against her skin. She wasn't much into jewelry but Jack seemed to have a knack for picking out pieces she enjoyed.

"I'm going to use the bathroom real quick, need anything?"

"No, I'm good," She shakes her head and smiles as he dashes off once more. She grabs the stack of movies and gets up off of the couch, walking over to the entertainment center. She opens the case for the Village and puts it into the dvd player before setting the stack of cases on the shelf next to it. The tv gets switched over to the right input and she changes the stereo over as well before sitting back down and opening the pizza boxes. She pulls out two slices of cheese for herself and lets them cool as she fills both of the glasses on the table with soda.

"What did you pick?" Jack asks as he comes back into the living room before sitting down on the couch next to her.

"The Village," She tells him as she tucks her feet back under her body, "Want me to start it?"

"Yeah, go ahead," He nods. She presses play on the dvd remote before leaning back into her seat and starting to eat as the previews begin. She leans into his side once he sits down and balances his own plate on his lap. By the end of the movie she's sprawled into Jack and Grace is curled up against her chest, snoozing away.

"I told you that was going to be the twist," She says as the credits start to roll. Jack laughs and kisses the crown of her head.

"Good movie though."

"It was," She agrees, tipping her head up to kiss him properly. She huffs out a breath as the phone rings before pulling away, "I thought we had convinced people to stop calling."

"Must have missed someone," Jack comments as he grabs the cordless handset and answers the ringing tone, "Hello? Yeah, no. It's not too late, she's right here."

Sam lifts her free hand and takes the phone from him, holding it to her ear, "Hello?"

Jack runs his fingers through her hair, playing with the ends as he changes the tv over to cable from the dvd player and flips through the sports channels as she talks quietly. He lands on the last period of a Blackhawks game and drops the remote to her thigh before resting his hand on her hip. He keeps a loose ear on her conversation as his eyes track the puck and players across the ice. The game ends in overtime and the channel goes into highlights from the evening's games before Sam hangs up the phone. She tosses it between her feet and sighs as she shifts her dominant grip on Grace to the opposite arm.

"Janet?"

"Yeah."

"Everything okay?"

“Yeah? I think so..." She replies as she looks up at him.

“You sure you want to stick with that answer?” He asks. She nods and shifts her head to lay on his shoulder.

“Yeah, she's just been a little...I think she's still feeling her way around since the breakup,” She assures him. They continue to watch tv for a while longer until Grace starts to put up a fuss for her next feeding. He helps Sam sit upright before she gets up with the baby, “I’m going to go upstairs and nurse her since I’m up anyway.”

“Okay, I’ll be up in a sec,” He tells her, starting to pick up from their movie night as she goes upstairs. He puts the pizza and soda in the fridge and rinses out their glasses before going around to check the doors and turn all of the lights off. He climbs the stairs and turns off the hall light before stepping into the bedroom and closing the door behind himself. She offers him a tired smile from her position propped up against the headboard and their pillows.

Jack grunts as he climbs into bed and stretches out next to her on top of the covers. He snuggles up next to her and rests his head on her shoulder making her smile. Sam reaches up with her free hand and threads her fingers through his hair, gently scraping her nails over his scalp. She hums softly and presses a kiss to his forehead as he reaches out to touch Grace’s foot.

“I like these moments,” She whispers.

“Me too,” He agrees. He burps Grace after she finishes nursing and gives the girl one last diaper change before bundling her up and putting her to bed. Sam changes into her pajamas and goes about her bathroom routine while he does, passing him in the doorway to the bathroom as they switch. She turns the lights off and flips the small nightlight on before climbing into bed and sighing as she stretches out. 

After a while she eyeballs the closed bathroom door suspiciously, curious what was taking so long. It’s a few more minutes until she hears the toilet flush and the sink run before Jack opens the door and turns the light out behind himself. He jumps slightly when he finds her intently staring at him.

"Jesus!"

“What were you doing in there?”

“Oh, for crying out loud.”

“I thought we didn’t have any secrets.”

“What on earth made you think that?” He asks as he climbs into bed.

“You were in there longer than I was and I have more things to do than you do,” She points out. He sighs as he settles into his spot, staring up at the ceiling, wondering if they were really doing this right now, “Jack…you weren’t…oh my god you _were_.”

"It's already been six weeks since the last time we had sex," He points out, "And your dad has been here since we got home."

"You could have...I mean I..."

"I'm pretty adept at taking care of things myself by this point in my life," Jack assures her. Sam laughs and bites at his jaw before she turns his head and presses a kiss to his lips. They both hum softly as they kiss each other for a few moments before she snuggles up close.

"Dirty old man," She whispers, making him grin.

"Have you seen your ass these last few months?"

"Stoppp," She laughs and reaches up to cover his face with her hand.

"If I could get you into that cute little tank top number and some of those spandex biking shorts you have I'd be having wet dreams for the next month," He continues to talk from underneath her fingers. His grin widens as she starts to laugh even more. She pulls her hand away as he nuzzles his way out from underneath it before kissing the side of her head, "I love you. My beautiful girl."

"I love you too," She murmurs softly, squeezing him with the arm that she had wrapped around his waist.

In the morning Sam stumbles downstairs a little before Jack finishes feeding Grace her bottle. She busies herself with getting a pot of coffee going along with the kettle, setting two mugs down on the table just as he gets her burped. She walks around to the other side of the table and leans down to kiss the top of the baby's head with a softly murmured 'good morning' before doing the same to her husband.

"Breakfast?" Sam asks.

"Anything is fine with me."

"Okay," She smiles before kissing him once more and going to the fridge to get things to start making breakfast for them. Grace gets laid down into her recliner seat as she lets out a big yawn and blinks sleepily while her father buckles her in.

"I'm gonna run out and grab the paper," Jack announces before heading for the front door. He takes a deep breath of the fresh air outside after he gets the door open. He stuffs his feet into a pair of house shoes before making the trek to the end of the driveway to get their newspaper. He pulls it out of the bag and starts to skim the front page as he walks back to the house. Inside he locks the door again and kicks his shoes off before walking back into the kitchen where Sam was in the midst of breakfast preparations, "It's pretty nice outside."

"Yeah?"

"Paper says it's going to be low sixties today, sunny," He replies as he sits back down at the table, "Actually, weather looks good most of the next week. Mini heat wave."

"Maybe we can get out of the house a bit," She muses as she turns the burners off before starting to plate the food.

"Yeah, it's hardly park weather but we could at least take a walk or something," Jack agrees as he drops the paper onto the table.

“Janet brought up something about the wedding," Sam changes the subject as she sets a breakfast plate down in front of him.

"The wedding?" He asks as he picks up his fork.

"Yeah, last night on the phone," She expands.

"Okay..." Jack drawls slowly.

"I told you it was a weird phone call," She reminds him with a dead pan as she gets a stack of containers out of the fridge, "Anyway. What if we did something simple here? We don't actually need an officiant since we already signed the license, mentally I put the guest list at...Twenty people max? With that small of a group we could probably just rent out that back party room at O'Malleys."

"Twenty people?"

"Yeah," Sam nods as she dishes out yogurt and fruit into a bowl, "You, me, Grace, Daniel, Teal'c, Maia and maybe a plus one, Janet, Cassie, General Hammond, my dad, Mark and his family that's five...maybe a couple other people from base? I don't know if any of your family would be interested in coming. Or if you have anyone else you'd want to invite."

"I don't think I'll have anyone else. If I did it'd probably just be Katie or Maggie."

"Have you...I mean, do your sisters, or any of your family I suppose, know about any of this?" She asks, looking over her shoulder as she starts to put lids back on.

"Both of them do, whether they've told anyone else in the family I don't know."

"Right," She nods and puts everything back into the fridge, "What do you think about having Daniel do the ceremony?"

"Daniel?"

"Yeah. You know how good he is at talking and telling stories," Sam jokes as she carries her breakfast to the table.

“You’ve got me there," Jack grins and breaks off a piece of bacon, "Okay so, we'll have it here, Daniel will do the ceremony, and we'll go to O'Malley's after."

"The 14th is around the tail end of my maternity leave. We could take a vacation, if you could get the leave."

"A honeymoon?" He questions, his interest piqued.

"A vacation," She reiterates as she looks up at him, "Grace is only going to be three months old..."

"And you want to take her with."

"Yeah," She shrugs, "I know Cassandra is agreeing to nanny for her, but I wouldn't want to obligate her to look after her while we're completely gone for a week, not right off the bat. We can still enjoy ourselves."

"I will enjoy you wherever we go," Jack grins wolfishly.

"You don't think I'm being a crazy mom?"

"I didn't say that," He jokes with a laugh, ducking a bit as she tosses a burp rag at him. The house phone starts to ring and she pushes her chair back before going to grab the handset, pressing it to her ear.

“Hello?" She answers before a small smile spreads over her lips, "Good morning, sir...she's doing well, asleep right now...for you, I always have a few moments...that's what the diagnostics that I ran said...I updated the system to prevent this in the future...I am aware that I was technically on maternity leave...We should probably do that, sir...I think that would probably be for the best...I wouldn't mind taking a look through them once they were put together...The offer is very appreciated, sir. I'd love to be able to spend a couple of extra weeks with her...it's not a bother at all, sir...bye."

"Hammond?" Jack asks after she hangs up.

"Yeah, he's letting Felger go," She tells him as she sits back down.

"He mentioned something about it when I went in the other day," He says he picks up his mug and takes a large swallow of the warm coffee inside, "He's the one who caused the gate problem?"

"It was an unfortunate circumstance all around, but this is the last thing in a long line of screw ups," Sam admits as the corner of her mouth turns down slightly, "I told him if he could get a list of people who were qualified to read into the program to fill the position I wouldn't mind taking a look at their files. And he mentioned that we need to get someone else in that can specialize in the dialing program besides me, given what happened."

"Makes sense," He agrees, "What did he say about you taking time off?"

"Well considering what happened when we fixed the gate..."

" _You_ fixed the gate."

"...when _I_ fixed the gate. And that there was some stuff I did before we left the SGC he's offered me two extra weeks of leave," She shrugs.

"Nice," Jack compliments as she abandons her seat one more time to grab a glass out of the cupboard, taking it to the fridge to fill it with orange juice.

"It'll be nice to have a little extra time with her. And in general," She agrees before sitting back down and scooting in to the table, finally picking up her spoon.

“So what were you thinking for this vacation of ours?”

“Well if you could get actual leave instead of just being on call, we could go anywhere. As simple as the cabin as crazy as…well not too crazy with the baby…I’ll put Europe on the table…maybe a resort in Mexico.”

“Where would you want to go?” Jack asks with interest before shoveling a bite of french toast into his mouth. She hums and thinks as she mixes the yogurt and fruit together.

“Ireland, Scotland, England…castles and green.”

"I never pegged you for a castles girl."

"It's in my blood. I've always wanted a sword," She tells him with a small smile as she starts to eat, "My dad used to take me to the range when I was a kid, after my mom died. I'd decided to go into the Air Force to make my way into NASA by then and I think he wanted me to have a jump on the other kids. I got pretty good pretty fast. But every time we went he'd ask me what I learned that time, and I used to tell him what I really learned was that I wanted a sword. Mostly just to rile him up, but there's also some...romantic value to it?"

"A knight riding into battle?"

"Yeah in a way," Sam laughs softly and takes a sip of her juice, "I wasn't always just into science. I’m good at it and I love it, but I also really enjoyed history too. The two of them went hand in hand for quite a while.”

“Well one, you’re better than good at science. You were probably better than good at science at fifteen,” Jack teases her. She laughs and shakes her head as she looks down at her food. He tips his head as he watches her, interested to learn a little more about who young Samantha Carter was, “What did you like about it? History, I mean.”

“The stories. I read a lot of historical fiction about areas that I enjoyed learning about,” She explains with a gesture of her spoon, “But eventually I moved into fantasy books, probably late middle school. And sometimes I'd have these dreams where I'd be…"

“What?” He prods as he watches her blush and look down, slowly pulling a sliced strawberry up the side of the bowl.

“I’d be riding through a countryside with this ornate, embellished armor on. I’d have these giant pure white wings at my back with a razor edged sword in my grip. I felt like…” Sam takes a deep breath after she trails off, “I had them before my mom died…but it was only every once in a while. When I was really into something I was reading. But after…I started having them more. It was this...subconscious escape from reality.”

“Subconscious escape from reality.”

“That revelation took me about six months of therapy,” Sam admits.

“Therapy?” Jack arches his eyebrow slightly, “No offense, but your dad doesn’t seem like the send his kids to therapy kind of person.”

“He didn’t. I was screwing up at school for a little bit and they made me talk to the counselor. I begged him not to call my dad, _begged_ him…”

“What school counselor lets a student talk him out of notifyin…”

“A school counselor from one of the years we don’t say out loud because it makes you get weird about our age difference,” She deadpans with a wink and a grin before continuing, “Anyway, he didn’t call my dad, but he sent me home with a list of grief counselors that specialized in talking to teens and told me to talk to him myself.”

“And I’m guessing you didn’t.”

“Carter’s don’t quit.”

“Therapy isn’t quitting.”

“That’s kind of rich coming from you,” She laughs, “How many of McKenzie’s evals have you avoided over the years?”

“The pot does call the kettle black sometimes,” Jack replies with a gesture of his mug as he leans back in his chair before taking a sip of his coffee. Sam chews thoughtfully as she looks at him before swallowing and continuing to explain.

“I used money I had saved from babysitting and tutoring to pay for the sessions. Never told my dad about it. But I could only afford the six months before I ran out.”

“You had enough money saved up at what…fifteen, give or take, to afford six months of therapy?” Jack asks, “Not to mention that you actually voluntarily went to therapy.”

“I was saving up for a car, and my dad still gave us an allowance, so I never really had a need to touch it.”

“Did it help?”

“To some degree,” Sam shrugs with a small smile, “The dreams tapered off over the next year or so. I only have them when it gets to be a little too much, usually intermixed with the nightmares.”

“What about the car?”

“Got a bike instead.”

“What kind?”

“The Indian,” She tells him, gesturing in the general direction of the garage.

“ _That_ Indian? You’ve had that bike since you were sixteen?”

“Why do you think I barely let you breathe on it?” She grins as she reaches over to take a half piece of bacon left on his plate, “I restored as much as I could the first year that I had it to make it ridable. And I’ve been taking care of her ever since.”

“You…are an interesting creature, Samantha Carter,” Jack shakes his head with a grin as he stands up from the table and grabs his now empty plate. He holds his hand out to her in an offer to take her bowl. She holds it out to him and keeps her grip with a flirtatious grin as he pulls.

“That’s Mrs. O’Neill to you, sir,” She reminds him with a teasing lilt to her voice before letting go of the plate. He gives her a look as he backs away towards the sink before turning around. He rinses the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher and washing his hands. He dries them off on paper towels and tosses them into the trash before walking back over to the table. He wraps an arm around her shoulders from behind and presses a kiss to the top of her head as she pulls the paper across the table.

“So when we would go to those planets that were really culture-y…you liked that?”

“When they weren’t trying to sell me off as a sex slave or a wife,” She jokes, “But yeah. I enjoyed it.”

“You miss it?”

“Yeah,” She admits with a slightly forlorn look in her eyes as she picks up a pencil that was on the table, flipping over to the crossword. She fills in a couple of words as he continues to hold her.

“Have you ever ridden a horse before?”

“Once when I was at summer camp. I was 10,” She smiles and he tightens his hold on her, burying his nose into her hair.

“You doing okay?”

“Okay?” Sam questions, confused at his random line of questioning.

“Yeah. It's been a couple of days since the last time Fraiser was here. I thought I would just...check in,” Jack finishes lamely. Sam leans her head back and sighs she closes her eyes. She reaches up and squeezes his forearm before looking up at him.

“I have an amazing husband who asks me if I’m okay,” She assures him with a soft smile, “I couldn’t be better.”

“Alright,” He presses a kiss to her lips before letting her go. She looks back down at the crossword and starts to scan the open clues again, “Why don’t I take care of planning our honeymoon plus Grace?”

“You want to plan our trip?”

“It’ll take something off of your plate.”

“Okay,” She nods slowly as she taps the tip of the pencil against the paper, “Sure. If we’re going to leave the country though don’t forget that she doesn’t have any paperwork yet.”

“I’ll take care of all of it,” He holds his hands up, “All of it. Promise.”

“Alright, I’ll leave it to you.”

“I’m going to be downstairs for a little bit, yell if you need anything,” Jack says as he tugs on her hair playfully before pressing a kiss to her lips. She smiles and kisses him back before he pulls away and goes downstairs. He surfaces after a couple of hours and heads into the living room, finding Sam’s feet propped up on the coffee table and her eyes trained on the tv screen. She was watching the movie he’d picked up for her quite intently, “Hey.”

“Hey,” She replies, pressing pause on the movie, “What have you been up to down in your cave?”

“I was going over the land surveys…you interested in taking a walk?”

“If you’ll get the stroller and that little…what is it? A sweatshirt suit?”

“Sure,” He nods. Sam gets up from the couch and goes to the front closet, looking for her running shoes. She brings them back to the couch and starts to lace up while waiting for Jack. He comes in with the thick, blue cold weather suit they had gotten for the baby and leans over the cot to get Grace dressed in it.

“What do you want to look at?”

“There’s supposed to be a pond or something in the wooded area,” He tells her as he pulls the zipper up under the baby’s chin before picking her up, “The realtor told me that there are some trails, hopefully those two overlap with each other.”

“A pond?” She asks as she pushes herself up and follows him outside. He gets Grace strapped into the running stroller he’d purchased for Sam and starts to push as they walk out into the back yard.

“Yeah. I was looking at the surveys just to get an idea of what we have before we get some landscapers out here,” He shrugs, “Looked pretty decent size on the map.”

“Wonder if it has fish in it,” She grins and bumps her shoulder against his. He laughs and shakes his head as they walk across the grass. Once they approach the edge of the woods she trails behind as he looks for a way in, finding what looked to be an old ATV path. She playfully grabs onto his back belt loop and grins at him when he looks back, “Wouldn’t want to get separated.”

“I am well aware of how much you like watching my six,” He tells her with a wink before pushing the stroller inside. Sam laughs and lets him go, moving to walk along side him.

“How far in was it on the survey?”

“Not too far.”

“Do you know if we can shoot on the property?” She asks after a while, stepping over a puddle. The tree cover was relatively thick and kept a lot of the snow off of the ground. What had fallen through was wet and slushy in the warmth of the day.

“I think so?” He responds, “Part of the land crosses over into the county space, so it’s not technically part of the city. Why?”

“It’d be nice to keep up. I can’t use the range at the mountain unless I’m actively assigned to an SG team that carries ordinance,” She explains with a shoulder shrug, “Just a random thought.”

“I can look into it,” Jack offers. Sam nods with a smile before pointing in front of them. Through the thick of trees she could just barely make out the edge of a meadow and some water.  
“It looks like it’s up to the right a bit,” She notes as they pick up the pace a little bit before they make it to the small clearing. The clearing itself was probably about five acres in total area. There was a decent amount of grassy area surrounding a pond that took up almost half of the space, “Wow.”

“Yeah,” He breathes out, “This is more than I was expecting.”

“It’s beautiful,” She agrees before walking to approach the water. She tests the ice with the tip of her shoe as she looks around, looking down as it cracks underneath slight pressure, “Ice isn’t too thick.”

“I don’t know that we get cold enough down here we could skate on it,” He observes from the path, thinking about how long winter had to be set in before the pond at the cabin was sturdy enough for skating.

“This will be nice once the snow melts and the grass grows in,” She says as she walks back, “Don’t you think?”

“Yeah,” Jack nods in agreement as he takes in the area, “I’m gonna make some calls before I go back to work, get some stuff in motion to get this place cleaned up for spring. I’d like to get someone out here to take a look at the water and see what the situation is with it. Then maybe some landscapers to clean this and the yard up a little bit. Then there’s a couple of dead trees up where we came in, we could take them down for firewood.”

"I think that sounds good," Sam agrees as they start to walk back, "Have you looked into whatever the deal was with the back side of the property?"

"That was my next thing. I gotta find the paperwork from last year, they gave us a copy when the offer was accepted."

"Mmm, sounds like a fun afternoon," She smiles.

"Well we all can't just sit around and watch movies all day," He teases, yelping as she slips her fingers under his t-shirt and pinches him hard with her nails.

"Watch it, flyboy," She growls playfully before smoothing her hand over the injury and leaning into his side as they walk back to the house. Inside Jack hands Grace over to Sam before collapsing the stroller to put it away. He smiles as he watches her press her lips to the baby's temple, mumbling to her as they make their way to the living room.

“Do you want me to do lunch with her?”

“No, I’ve got it,” She calls back. He puts the stroller away and washes his hands before going into the living room to sit with them as she nurses and finishes the rest of the movie.

“Complaints so far?”

“Ohhhh a whole list,” She grins, “It’s not too terrible of a movie though.”

“Glad you’re enjoying yourself,” He smiles and presses a kiss to her head.

“I thought you were going to look at those papers?”

“I’ll go down later,” He tells her as he props his feet up on the coffee table and wraps his arm around her shoulders.

When Sam finishes nursing she shuffles Grace over to Jack before fixing her top and snuggling into his side. Her eyes start to droop as the end of the movie draws to a close, completely dozed off by the time the credits roll. He manages to get the remote into his grasp after extending his hand as far as it can reach and hooking his fingernail on the last button. He swaps it over to the cable and finds something to watch before sinking into the couch cushions as both of the girls nap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fantasticness of Blockbuster lives - and the movies that came out in 2004 were actually a pretty good selection!


	24. Chapter 24

Sam groans as she stretches down to reach her toes. She holds onto the tips of her tennis shoes for a few moments before looking up and smiling as she sees Grace staring back at her from her recliner seat that was sitting on the floor of the living room.

“What are you looking at, huh?” She asks the baby before moving into a different position to stretch. She knew that she probably most likely looked like a blur of black and blonde in front of her daughter, but she also knew that Grace liked listening to her talk, “Just your old mom stretching…”

“…after a half hour walk,” She mumbles under her breath to herself. She’d tried to exercise as much as she could while she was pregnant, but she’d underestimated the time it would take bounce back after actually having Grace.

“I thought I was the old one here,” Jack says as he rounds the corner into the living room, letting out a low whistle when he sees her bent over, “You…are definitely not the old one.”

“Enjoying the view?” She asks as she turns her head to look back at him.

“Oh yeah,” He nods, his eyes still transfixed to her rear end encapsulated in stretched black spandex.

“Your father is a dirty old man, little star,” She tells the baby with a grin before straightening up and turning around to face him. Jack rolls his eyes and hooks his fingers into the waistband of her pants before pulling her closer. Sam giggles and wraps her arms around his waist, tipping her head back to capture his lips in a kiss, “Good thing I love dirty old men.”

“Very good thing indeed,” He mumbles against her lips as he hugs her close. He kisses her again, tugging playfully on the end of her braid as he does. She laughs and pulls back slightly, reaching back to pull his hand away.

"Down flyboy."

”Do you still feel like going down to O’Malley's?" He asks. Their small group usually ended up at O'Malley's at some point during the day on St. Patrick's Day. The bar slash restaurant generally went all out for the holiday and would set up a large party tent on the open field next to the property to host the large crowds and various entertainment acts throughout the day while the beer and the whiskey flowed freely late into the night. Daniel and Teal'c happened to be free from the mission roster while Jack was on leave and Janet had called earlier in the day to say that they were all planning to meet around six.

“Yes, I could do with getting out and seeing everyone,” She tells him, “I just need to shower and get changed.”

“Okay,” Jack smiles and kisses her once more before she plucks Grace up from her seat and heads for the stairs. She manages to get the two of them cleaned up in the shower and lays the baby on the bed in her diaper as she gets dressed herself. She unearths a pair of black pants that weren't dirty, she shuffles through Jack’s collection of plaid shirts. She pulls out one that was predominantly green with black and white accenting and lays it on the bed, giving Grace’s belly a quick rub before topping herself off with a bra, tank top, and the large flannel. 

Sam ties the tails of the shirt artfully around her waist to make it better fit her stature and do a little bit to hide the lingering thickness of her middle before picking up the baby and taking her to the nursery to get dressed. She dresses her in a thick green and white striped jumpsuit that had shamrocks on the bottoms of the feet. The festive outfit had been purchased on one of the last shopping trips she'd taken with Janet and Cassie before she had given birth. 

Cassie had suggested buying it and Janet had kindly pointed out that the baby would be around for the holiday provided Sam didn't end up overdue. After thwacking her friend over the head with it at the suggestion that she was going to have to continue to suffer past her due date she'd added the hangar to the few already had hooked on her finger also picking up the matching hat.

Sam fits the green cap onto Grace's head before picking her up and pressing a kiss to the tip of her tiny nose. With her free hand she grabs a couple of diapers out of the storage bin under the changing table, heading back downstairs just as the doorbell rings. She hears the lock unlatch as Jack opens the door, but her footsteps slow when she hears unfamiliar voices.

“Jack!” A female voice exclaims.

“Mag? What…what’re you two doing here?”

“I got that picture of your cute little angel in the mail and I thought I’d drag Mom out here for a visit,” Maggie explains and Sam finds her eyebrows up near her hairline as she mouths the word ‘mom’.

“I just sent that picture!”

“Lucky for you I happened to be on school break,” His sister’s voice sweetly responds, “Now be a nice big brother and invite us in.”

The door clicks shut a moment later as she hears suitcases roll across the hardwood. Jack clears his throat before quietly greeting his mother. Doing quick math in her head she could estimate that it had easily been a decade since the last time he’d had any extended conversation with his mother.

Sam takes a little pity on her husband and finishes her trip down the stairs, smiling as she rounds the corner. Maggie was approximately 11 years younger than her brother and their mother was less than a decade into retirement. The younger O’Neill child stood at almost the same height as Jack and held herself with a similarly muscled frame. Feature for feature while they looked like family, they were almost polar opposites. Jack was well tanned with dark eyes and (previously) dark hair, but Maggie had a mass of heavily waved ginger hair tumbling down her back that paired well with her pale skin and almost ice blue eyes. 

His mother stood about the same height as she herself did with the same brown hair that Jack had grown up with, but while her son’s was almost completely silver by this point hers was only sparsely streaked with the contrasting shade. Her shoulder length hair was tucked behind her ear on one side making it easy for Sam to make out the same blue eyes that Maggie had. Both of them were dressed casually for travel in jeans, but still festively dressed for the holiday. Maggie wore a bright green Dublin sweatshirt while her mother wore a more muted green cable knit sweater.

“Hi.”

“Hey,” Jack turns and gives her a tight lipped smile, “Visitors.”

“I see that," She gives him a bemused grin, hoping to relax him.

“Right, introductions. My sister, Maggie, and my mom. Mom, Mag, this is Samantha Carter and our daughter, Grace," He introduces as his hand comes up to scratch the back of his neck.

“It’s nice to finally meet some of Jack’s family,” Sam replies, stuffing the diapers into Jack’s hands before reaching out to shake his mother’s hand, “Mrs. O’Neill.”

“Molly will be just fine,” The woman assures her with a moderately warm smile as she shakes Sam’s hand with a delicate grip, her eyes carefully studying the woman in front of her.

"It's so good to finally meet you," Maggie interrupts as she steps forward to wrap her arms around Sam and Grace, "I've heard quite a bit about you over the years."

“Oh?" Sam asks as she recovers from her shock, wrapping her free arm around Maggie. The redhead steps back and smiles as she looks down at Grace.

“Nothing too terrible, or secret,” She assures her as she studies her niece, her finger stroking over the baby’s curled up fist, "And she is much more adorable in person than the picture that Jack sent.”

“Thank you,” Sam smiles, her eyes flicking up to Jack to check on him, "Actually, we were just on our way out to meet some friends at a St. Patrick's Day thing in town. You're welcome to join us."

"That sounds fun," Maggie agrees as she turns to look at Jack and her mother, "Mom?"

"Sure," Molly gives a thin smile and nods, "I think that would be nice."

"Jack, why don't you take their bags upstairs?" Sam suggests, "I can get everyone out to the car."

"Yeah," Jack nods before ditching the diapers on the dining room table and grabbing both of the suitcases.

"We don't mean to impose, your sister booked us a hotel room in town," Molly tells him.

"It's fine, we've got the room," Jack assures her before climbing the stairs. Molly sighs and looks at Maggie.

"I told you this wasn't a good idea."

"He'll be fine," Maggie assures her before smiling at Sam, "Can I give you a hand with Grace?"

"Here, you can take her and get acquainted, I just need to get her bag together," Sam offers before handing over the baby. She steps away and moves between the dining room and the foyer to get Grace's things together. She packs the bag up and slings it over her shoulder before grabbing enough stuff to keep the both of them warm once they got to O'Malley's.

"That's an interesting bag," Molly comments as she looks at the black tactical backpack slung against Sam's back.

"It's an old pack of mine. It has lots of pockets which comes in handy. And Jack will wear it," Sam explains with a smile before looking at Maggie, "Her carseat is already in the car, the garage is just straight back and to the left."

"Sure," Maggie nods, leading the way towards the back of the house, "How long have you guys lived here? I was surprised to see the different return address when I got Jack's letter."

"Only a few months. I was about six months pregnant or so when we bought it," She tells them.

"It's nice," Maggie compliments as Sam opens the door to the garage, "Big yard."

"Yeah, the property sits on about a hundred acres," The blonde informs them, "But most of it's wooded. Though it's nice to have the space regardless."

"I bet."

"How long have you known my son?" Molly asks as they step into the garage and Sam indicates the Jeep with a click of the key fob.

"About eight years at this point," She replies, looking at the woman, "We work together at Cheyanne Mountain."

"You're in the Air Force?"

"I was. I retired when I found out that I was pregnant, but I still work at the base in a civilian capacity now."

"What do you do? That you can work in a civilian capacity, I mean."

"I'm a scientist. My doctorate is in Astrophysics."

"Doctorate?"

“Yeah,” Sam smiles as she takes Grace from Maggie and gets her buckled into her carseat, tucking her blanket around her, “They kept offering to send me to school, so I kept going. I'd initially intended on trying to get into NASA through them.”

“That’s wonderful," Molly comments and climbs into the back seat as Maggie goes around to the other side since the carseat was in the middle. Sam turns around when the car door closes and the door to the house opens at the same time. She sighs softly when she sees Jack and walks towards him, both of them stopping in front of the Volvo.

"I swear. I had no idea about this. I just sent one of the pictures Daniel had taken to Katie and Maggie so they would know that she was here," He blurts out and she shakes her head with a small smile. She could see that he was distressed.

"Jack, it's okay," She reassures him as she reaches up to stroke his cheek, leaning up on her toes to kiss him, "It's a...surprise. I won't deny that, but we'll be fine. Your sister said she was on school break, it's Tuesday, so they're probably only going to be here a couple of days."

"I don't know why she had to bring my mom though," Jack sighs.

“I’m assuming it’s so the two of you can partake in your favorite pastime _and talk_ ," She tells him pointedly.

"That's cute."

"Come on, sooner we get there the sooner you have some buffers for a couple of hours. And I’ll even buy you a beer.”

"That does sound good," Jack agrees and kisses her once more before they walk back to the car and get in. He drives the group to O'Malley's and parks in the gravel lot next to the restaurant that was filled to the brim with cars. Once they park he hops down from the driver's seat and goes around to Sam's side of the car to help her. He gives her a hand down and gets the baby carrier out of the bag before helping her put it on securely. After his mother gets out of the car he leans in and unbuckles Grace, putting her into the carrier, “Okay?”

“Yeah,” Sam nods and tucks her blanket in around her while Jack gets out a pair of noise cancelling earmuffs they'd purchased for Grace. He slips them onto her head and kisses her temple as she wrinkles her nose.

"Ready?" He asks as he puts the bag on.

"Lead the way," Sam gestures with her hand, "Janet texted and said they snagged a table in the tent."

"Who are we meeting exactly?" Maggie asks as they walk.

"Just a few friends from work," Jack replies. 

"And what do you do again?"

"Deep space radar telemetry," He coughs, "You know."

"No I can't say I do," His sister replies dryly, "You would think that over the years they would have gotten better at cover stories."

"Hmmm..." He nods. Maggie smiles and nudges her shoulder against his, her look turning a little more serious.

"I know Ma and I showing up was a bit of a surprise. Normally I wouldn't spring it on you guys like this, but I knew if I let her think about it she'd talk herself out of coming, and you would have conveniently ended up at the cabin if I told you.”

"Might have been for the best."

"I know you don't believe that,” She chastises. Jack shrugs and lifts his hand in a wave as he catches sight of Teal’c and Jacob first, considering that they were the tallest out of the group.

“Can we talk about this later?” He asks, looking over at his sister. She nods and gives him a brief smile before they get to the table.

“Hey! You guys made it,” Daniel greets with a wide smile before he notices the extra people, “And you brought…extra people.”

“Smooth,” Jack smirks, “Everyone, this is my sister, Maggie, and my mom, Molly. They decided to drop in for a surprise visit. Family - meet Janet, Daniel, Cassandra, Teal’c, and Sam’s dad, Jacob Carter.”

“Hi,” Maggie waves, “Nice to meet everyone.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Janet greets, “I didn’t know you had any siblings.”

“A few of them actually,” Jack admits before clapping his hands, “Now, will someone _please_ either give me a beer or tell me where to get one, please.”

“Here,” Cassie pulls a second cup away from the bottom of the one she was holding in her hand, handing it over to him.

“You always were my favorite, Cass,” He smiles before grabbing the pitcher of Guinness in the middle of the table and filling his glass with the last remnants. He takes a healthy swallow before holding the cup out to Sam and picking up the empty pitcher, “I am going to go get this refilled. And get another one. Teal’c?”

“I will assist you,” Teal’c offers before wandering away with Jack towards the corner that had the beverage table.

“He’s…big,” Molly comments as she watches the two of them go. Sam laughs and takes a sip out of the cup.

“That he is,” She replies, “I suppose Jack should have asked, but do either you want something besides beer to drink?”

“I’m good for a pint right now, but thank you.”

“I’m going to go inside and get another soda,” Cassie offers.

“Why don’t you grab a pitcher of water and more cups?” Jacob suggests.

“Sure,” She smiles before heading inside the restaurant. Sam sidles up to the table with Molly and Maggie, standing next to her father. She pats Grace on the back and offers her father a raised brow and a smile as he leans down to check in on the baby. He laughs and straightens back up.

“So, where did you two fine O’Neill ladies fly in from?” Jacob asks, offering a warm smile to Molly and Maggie.

“Boston,” Molly replies as she leans against the table.

“I thought Jack grew up in Chicago,” Daniel interjects.

“He did,” She answers as she turns her attention to the archaeologist, “They all did. My husband and I moved to Boston once they were all out and through college. It seemed that everyone was intent on relocating to the East Coast except Jack, he was already based in Colorado by that point.”

“Do you live in the area?” Molly asks Jacob.

“No, I’m visiting. I was just at the base helping out with something, so I came over with the rest of the group.”

“Oh, you’re in the Air Force?”

“Retired,” He fibs easily, “But I consult on occasion.”

“That must be nice.”

“I get a chance to see Sam, and now Grace, every once in a while, so it’s not too terrible.”

“So are the rest of you in the Air Force?” Maggie asks.

“I am, but we all work on base together, except for Cassie, at least for a few more years,” Janet smiles.

“And what do you do, Daniel?”

“I’m an archaeologist.”

“Much need for those in deep space radar telemetry?” She grins.

“Ah…”

“Don’t worry,” She waves him off, “We’ve dealt with years of my brother being in Special Forces. We get cover stories.”

“I keep telling them…” Jacob mumbles under his breath and Sam elbows him, “Ow.”

“Janet, what about you?” The redhead asks Janet.

“Doctor.”

“And Teal’c?”

“Muscle,” Everyone responds at the same time.

"He's harmless though," Sam assures the two newcomers. Cassie returns with the pitcher of water at the same time that Teal'c and Jack rejoin them. Jack presses a kiss to the side of Sam's head and offers the pitcher in his hand to her first, "No, I'm fine."

"Okay," He offers her a quick smile before filling his own cup and setting the pitcher down onto the table. He puts his hand on the small of her back and his thumb swipes back and forth slowly as the group continues to converse. She can feel his body tense a little while later when a voice breaks through the quiet roar of the crowd.

"Jack!"

“You’ve got to be kidding..." He mumbles under his breath. Sam arches her eyebrow before they turn slightly and find his ex-wife approaching them.

“Oh," Her eyebrows again find themselves creeping up her forehead.

"I thought that was you," Sara greets with a smile, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek, "Actually I spotted your mother first."

"Yeah, they just got into town earlier today," Jack tells her, "What're you..."

"My fiancé's daughter, she's in the dance school that's going to perform in a little bit," She smiles before greeting Molly and Maggie, "What are you two in town for?"

“To meet the family," Jack interjects, wrapping his arm further around Sam's waist.

"Oh," Sara's eyebrows raise, “So, you two..."

“Yep,” He nods.

"That's great," Sara smiles at her ex-husband before looking at Sam, "How old is she?"

“Almost two weeks."

"I'm surprised you're here," She comments.

"I needed to get out of the house for a little while, and we kind of have a tradition of coming as a group," Sam shrugs with a small smile.

"May I?" Sara gestures towards the carrier that Sam was wearing.

"Of course," Sam nods and Sara leans down, moving the blanket out of the way. She smiles as she looks at Grace.

"She is gorgeous," She comments, “Is her hair red?”

“At least for now it is,” Sam nods as Sara straightens up and leaves the baby to sleep.

“All of the O’Neill girls have red hair,” Sara tells her with an amused grin, “It might be staying.”

“Oh?” Sam hums softly with a twitch of her eyebrow.

“Does Katie still color it?” Sara asks Maggie with a turn of her head.

“Yes, but she’s doing much more of a dark auburn thing now instead of that ashy ass brown. Much better looking,” The redhead replies after taking a large swallow from her cup of beer. In a quick whirlwind Sara’s fiancé, Michael, joins the table and after introducing him to the group she begins to catch up with Maggie and Molly as Jack talks hockey with the mountain of a man, Sam slowly getting squished out of the conversation. 

By the time the band takes the stage again Sam finds herself feeling overwhelmed between the crowd, the noise, and the new people. She slips away from the group and makes her way into the restaurant, scoping out an empty booth in the back corner. As she sits down one of the waitresses that was working the inside stops by and asks if she wants anything. She waves the young girl off with a strained smile before loosening a couple of the straps on the carrier and lifting Grace out. 

With a bit of finesse Sam manages to get the carrier off and drop it onto the bench next to her before sighing as she cradles her daughter to her chest. Her head drops back against the top of the booth and she closes her eyes as she takes a deep breath to try and calm the rapid beating of her heart. The depression she could deal with, fight back against, but anxiety had never been an easy foe for her. When she feels a hand against her shoulder a short while later she jumps and her eyes fly open. She lets out a breath and smiles as Jack slides into the booth across from her.

“Hey, you okay?”

“Yeah. I just had to step away for a little bit,” She assures him.

“I don’t blame you,” He rolls his eyes making her laugh, “I…this has been something.”

“You could say that again.”

“Sara left,” Jack offers, “The three amigos seem quite entertained trying to dig as much information about me as they can out of my sister. And I’m pretty sure your dad is chatting up my mother.”

Sam barks out an involuntary laugh, “What about Teal’c?”

“Armwrestling.”

“Of course,” She rolls her eyes. He grins and reaches across to grab the harness from its spot next to her. He spends a few silent moments readjusting the straps before putting it on himself, 

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to take Grace and we’re going to ignore our friends and my family for a little bit and dance,” He tells her and turns his back, “Clip?”

Sam shifts out of the booth and one handedly clips the carrier tight to his body, laughing softly as he turns around, “I never thought I’d actually see you in this thing.”

“Why?”

“I suppose I figured if you were wearing it I most likely wasn’t there,” She comments and helps him get Grace settled, kissing the girl’s forehead softly, “It’s a good look on you though.”

“Thanks,” Jack laughs. He curls his fingers around Sam’s hand and pulls her outside slowly. She drops the baby bag on the ground next to Cassie and follows him through the crowd to the dance floor, stepping in close to him as he wraps his arm around her as a surprisingly slow song starts from the band.

“Interestingly slow song for a party.”

“Isn’t it?” Jack grins and presses a kiss to the side of her head. She laughs and shakes her head as she moves with him. Her cheeks color and she buries her face into his shoulder as he starts to sing along quietly in her ear, “…And how I wish the day would come, when she and I can be as one, gold is the color of my true love's hair…”

“Jack…” She murmurs, blushing deeper as he changes the words.

“Her lips are like some roses fair, she has the sweetest face, and the gentlest hands, and I love the ground where on she stands…” He carries on until the end of the song and she steps back, shaking her head.

"You are such a ham!”

"Only for you, my beautiful girl,” He grins and kisses the tip of her nose making her laugh, “Plus, it got you to smile."

"You are pretty good at that," Sam murmurs and tips her head back a little bit further before kissing him. Jack smiles and pats her on the behind.

"Ready to go back?" He arches his eyebrow as his hand slips into one of her pockets.

"Is it rude if we leave your mom and sister here and escape to go home?" She asks with an entirely too innocent look on her face, “Someone has to give my dad a ride back eventually, I’m sure they could tag along.”

"And you've only spent about twenty minutes in their company. That's quite a record."

"It's nothing against them,” She defends.

"I know," He kisses the side of her head and squeezes her closer for a brief moment, "We can go home if you want."

"No," Sam shakes her head after taking a moment to consider his offer. She didn’t want to be rude to their friends and she didn’t want to have to face Molly and Maggie once they got home. What was another brave front for a couple of hours, "I'll be fine."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," She leans up and kisses the corner of his mouth in reassurance, holding onto his hand as they walk back to the table. They find Maggie gesturing around wildly with everyone practically in tears from laughing so hard, even Teal’c had a small smile on his face. Jack rolls his eyes as he steps up behind his sister, leaning down to speak directly into her ear for maximum effect.

"Dare I even ask what story you're telling them?” He asks, making her jump about a foot in the air.

"You probably shouldn't," Maggie retorts as she offers him a glare. Jack puts Sam on the side by Janet and Cassie, winking at her. She smiles back at him and squeezes his hand. 

By the time eight o’clock rolls around and the rowdiness of the crowd ratchets up another notch Jack can tell that Sam is fading. Her nails were picking at the folded over rim of the plastic cup in her hands while she stared off into space. He nudges her softly and she snaps her head up to look at him with a hum in in her throat.

"Home?"

"Sure," She nods and sets her cup on the table before picking up the baby bag from the ground and slinging it over her shoulder as Jack makes their exit for them. She kisses Cassie on the cheek as the girl gives her a hug, promising that they would arrange a time for her to come over soon to spend some extended time with Grace. She waves goodbye to the rest of the group and follows Jack back to the car in near silence with Molly and Maggie chattering along quietly behind them. Once they get to the car she takes the baby out of the carrier and gets her settled into her carseat, taking off the earphones carefully. Her tiny nose wrinkles up as she immediately starts to fuss. Sam sighs softly and looks back at Maggie, “Do you mind sitting in the front?”

“No, not at all,” Maggie shakes her head and opens the door to the front seat, climbing up. Sam gets into the back seat and pulls the door closed before turning her attention to the baby. She takes the cap off of her head and digs out her pacifier from the baby bag before offering it to her. Grace latches on to the blue plastic and Sam smoothes her hand over her head with a soft smile and lets her grab onto her pinky during the ride home. 

When they home and parked in the garage the five of them unload into the house and she quietly bids Maggie and Molly a good night before climbing the stairs with Grace. Jack shows the two of them around the house and up to their rooms, lingering in the doorway of the room that he'd put his sister in.

"Sam's dad will be back tonight but then he's leaving tomorrow morning, we're both going to take him to the airport. There are towels in the bathroom, and help yourself to anything in the kitchen..." He explains, scratching his chin, "I'm usually up with Grace during the night, Sam's up by eight generally, and we're at the end of the hall if you need anything."

"We didn't do anything to offend Sam did we?" Maggie asks as she busies herself unzipping her suitcase.

“Offend, no. But you did show up unannounced less than two weeks after our daughter was born, which is less than ideal within itself but then add on the fact that you’d never even met Sam when you decided to do this…” Jack shakes his head as he bites out his reply. He was trying to help keep Sam on even keel. He wanted her to enjoy her time home with Grace, to take time and not worry about the mountain and the war. Yet wrenches just kept getting thrown into their plans, “All you had to do was call and we could have arranged something in a few weeks.”

“Well excuse me for feeling like that hasn’t exactly worked out in the past,” Maggie snaps back as she flings open the top of her suitcase, “Good night, Jack.”


	25. Chapter 25

Jack closes the bedroom door behind himself and sighs softly as he finds Sam sitting with her back against the headboard and her knees pulled up to her chest. Her chin was resting between her kneecaps and she was staring off into space as her fingers worried the fabric of her pajama pants. Her hair was damp and curling naturally indicating that she'd showered again. Grace was tucked into bed and the lights were off except for the night light.

“Sam…” Jack murmurs as he walks to her side of the bed and sits down on the edge of the mattress. Her fingers stop and she looks over at him.

“I hope they didn’t think I was rude?” She asks quietly.

“What?” His brow furrows in confusion.

“Your mom and Maggie,” She whispers.

“No, no,” He shakes his head, “They didn’t think that at all.”

“Good.”

“Are you okay?” He asks as her attention starts to drift off again.

“Hmmm?”

“You. Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” She exhales slowly, her grip relaxing slightly on her legs as she meekly smiles, “Yeah.”

“Sam," Jack arches his eyebrow as he looks at her.

"What?"

“You don’t have to lie to me,” He tells her softly.

"I'm...I just stayed too long at the thing," She sighs and stretches her legs out in front of herself. She runs her fingers over his hand as he rests it on her thigh. She squeezes it tight, her knuckles whitening slightly with the force.

"You know we could have gone home whenever you wanted."

"And if we had come home any earlier...I just wasn't...Have I wanted to meet your family? Yes. I wasn't exactly prepared for them to drop in on us. Especially right now…” Sam grumbles as she scratches her nail gently over the taut skin between his thumb and index finger, "It's just been a long day...or eleven."

"That I will agree with," He smiles and lifts her hand to his mouth, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," She turns her hand over and cups his cheek, her thumb stroking along his bottom lip. He kisses the tip of her thumb before standing up and getting ready for bed. He climbs in a few minutes later and she shuffles closer to him, laughing as he snuggles closer and rests his head on her shoulder

“Mmm,” Sam hums softly before she leans over to kiss his forehead as she rakes her fingers through his hair, “You need a haircut.”

“Yeah, I was gonna go this weekend…I think they’re open over the weekend…” He trails off before shrugging.

“Well I don’t think you’re going to break any performance regs anytime soon,” She assures him as she snuggles a little closer, “How are you doing?”

“How am I doing?”

“You keep asking me. I thought I'd flip the question on you,” She explains. He laughs and tips his head up to kiss her on the jaw before sighing as he scratches his fingers across his chest, looking up at the ceiling.

“She’s perfect, you know?”

“I think we might be a little biased, but yeah she’s pretty great.”

“She’s all you,” Jack points out, his dark eyes guarded, “You notice that?”

“I see a fair amount of you in her,” She smiles, “The hair for one. I haven’t been able to get it to stay down since her first bath. And sometimes she gets this little look on her face and I feel like I’m staring right at you.”

“She’s quiet, calculating…and when she comes out she comes out swinging”

“She’s not even two weeks old,” Sam laughs, “She’s not calculating anything. And are you saying I have a temper?”

“She’s calculating something,” He assures her, “I like that she’s you.”

“Why?”

“It makes it a little easier,” He says after staying quiet for a couple of moments, calculating how much he wanted to share. He’d talked to her about Charlie occasionally. The moments were few and far in between, but she always listened with interest to learn anything she could about the little boy that still had his fingers wrapped around her husband’s heart, “Charlie took too much after me. He was loud and wiggly. It’s not that he cried a lot…he was just always making noise.”

“I wouldn’t say that you’re loud.”

“Well not now, I made a career out of being quiet,” He smiles slightly, “I was a jabber mouth when I was a kid.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah,” He nods. She presses her lips to his forehead once again and hugs him close to her.

“Tell me. When it gets tough, just…tell me, okay?” She asks, waiting until he nods once more before she threads her fingers in his hair and tugs his head back. She kisses him and nips at his nose, “I love you.”

“Same here, kid,” He pats her hip and she laughs, smacking him on the head.

“Ow.”

“Poor baby,” Sam murmurs as she shuffles down the bed and gets herself situated under the blankets. Jack spoons up to her back and wraps his arm around her.

“She really is perfect, you know?”

“Of course she is, she’s ours. Now go to sleep,” She commands softly as she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. 

In the morning, Sam turns around as she hears footsteps come into the kitchen. She smiles at Maggie as she wanders in while wrapping her robe around herself. The redhead smiles back and steps closer as she ties the sash closed.

"Morning," Sam greets before turning back to the bottles and baggies in front of herself, "Jack's just changing Grace then he should be down. Cups are above the coffee pot. Cream's in the fridge."

"Thanks," Maggie murmurs and pulls down a mug, pouring herself a mostly full cup before topping it off with cream. She hums as she takes her first sip before sidling up to the counter next to Sam, "Before anyone else comes down I wanted to apologize for just dropping in like this. I've been trying to get Jack and Mom to talk to each other for years and when I showed her the picture Jack sent of Grace...I finally had an opening."

"It's okay," Sam assures her as she labels the baggies before putting them into the fridge. She turns the faucet on and starts to clean up, "I didn't mean to be standoffish yesterday. We...it's just been a little rough going since the baby was born.”

“Is everything okay?” Maggie asks as she grabs a towel and takes the wet items from Sam, drying them off.

“Yeah, yeah, I mean you know…”

“Unfortunately you have the wrong sister here,” Maggie lets out a soft laugh as she looks over at Sam at the same time the blonde looks at her, “Gay, no kids.”

“Ah…well,” Sam laughs softly as a small flush colors her cheeks, “Then I suppose not.”

“Tell me about it.”

“I don’t…I doubt you want to hear me blab about my problems.”

“Nonsense, that’s the whole point of the visit. Well my visit. Getting to know the woman who captured my big brother’s heart.”

“Captured is a bit much, don’t you think?” Sam asks as she rinses off a bottle and hands it over. She knew that Jack loved her, she never doubted that. But she was also realistic that she was the second wife after his son had been ripped away from him. His heart had been captured long before she’d come along.

“I don’t think so at all. Haven’t you seen how he looks at you? Heard how he talks about you?” Maggie grins and hands Sam the towel so she can dry off her hands, “He’s head over heels.”

“I don’t know about…” 

“About what?” Jack asks as he walks into the kitchen with Grace in the crook of his arm. Sam tosses the towel onto the counter as she walks towards them, smiling as she takes the baby from him and brushes the tip of her nose against her daughter’s.

“Good morning, little star.”

“What were you two talking about?”

“Nothing,” Maggie shakes her head as she takes a drink of her coffee, “What time do you have to take Sam’s dad to the airport?”

“After breakfast should be fine,” He answers as he goes to fill his own cup of coffee, “Hungry?”

“As long as breakfast doesn’t have any beer in it,” She teases.

“Well then I guess Sam is going to have to cook,” He winks at his wife and she rolls her eyes before escaping the kitchen and heading towards the living room. He takes a gulp of his coffee before walking over to the fridge and starting to get things out for breakfast. He gives the eggs and bacon to his sister as he busies himself with cutting up some fruit. Once he has a decent amount piled up he puts some yogurt into a bowl and sprinkles fruit on top before grabbing a spoon and walking it into the living room. Jack smiles when he sees Sam and Grace curled up in the recliner, Sam talking quietly to the baby. He walks closer to them and sets the bowl down on the side table, pressing a kiss to the side of her head.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” He replies as he sits on the arm of the chair, “Better this morning?”

“Better,” She nods as she shifts the baby to her other arm, “Any idea what we’re going to do today?”

“Not a clue,” He sighs, “We can figure something out on the drive back.”

“Okay,” She smiles and he leans down to kiss her.

“I love you.”

“Love you too,” She murmurs before pulling the bowl onto her lap and starting to eat with her free hand. He squeezes her shoulder before getting up and heading back to the kitchen. He grabs the loaf of bread and starts to make toast as Maggie stands at the stove. They both look up when they hear footsteps, both Molly and Jacob walking into the kitchen.

“Morning,” He greets, getting down a mug for his mom and holding it out to her, “Breakfast shouldn’t be too long.”

“Did you get the paper yet?” Jacob asks.

“No,” Jack shakes his head as he butters a slice of toast while his mother steps up next to him to get her coffee.

“I’ll go grab it,” He offers before heading towards the front door.

Jack and Maggie finish making breakfast while Jacob grabs the paper from the end of the drive. Sam comes in once her father gets back to the house, carrying the baby monitor in one hand and her empty bowl in the other. She tucks the monitor in the pocket of her robe and sets the bowl into the sink before getting plates down for everyone and setting the table. She sits next to her father and only takes a small amount of eggs and a piece of bacon before starting to eat.

When everyone is done Jacob offers to clean up while Sam and Jack go upstairs to get dressed. The two return a short while later dressed in jeans and t-shirts, heading for the front closet to grab their jackets. Sam picks up her boots and carries them into the living room before sitting on the couch to put them on. She laces up and pulls them tight before pulling her jeans down over the top, looking back at Maggie as she lingers in the doorway with her mug of coffee.

“Would you mind keeping an eye on Grace?” She asks, surprised at her own request, “We shouldn’t be that long.”

“Not at all,” Maggie shakes her head with a soft smile on her lips. Sam pushes herself up off of the couch and shrugs her jacket on, wrapping it around herself.

“She should just sleep, but everything is upstairs in the nursery if you need it. There’s milk in the fridge…Jack’s cell is one on the speed dial, mine’s two,” She explains as she picks up her purse and slings it over her shoulder. She leans down and kisses Grace on the head before following Jack and her father out to the garage. 

“I left some clothes in the dresser upstairs,” Jacob tells them as they make their way over to the truck, “Your brother called you right?”

“Yeah before we picked you up at the airport on Monday,” Sam nods as she climbs into the back seat, “He mentioned wanting to come for Easter. I told him I’d have to look at a calendar and get back to him, but yesterday and everything. I promise I’ll call him back.”

“I doubt it’s any rush,” He assures her as he buckles up before Jack pulls out of the garage and down the drive. He turns around as they drive towards the mountain, looking at his daughter, “I don’t know how long it’s going to be before I can come back, but you know that you can always send a message if you need anything.”

“I know,” She smiles and leans her head on her hand, “I’m glad you were able to come.”

“Me too,” He winks at her before turning back around. Once they get to the mountain the three of them make their way through the checkpoint before heading downstairs. Jacob stops in the locker room to change into his Tok’ra clothing while the other two make their way down to the conference room outside of Hammond’s office. 

They spend a few minutes talking to the general before Jacob joins up with them again. He takes a few minutes to say goodbye to his daughter before shaking Jack’s hand and taking a file from Hammond. He makes his way down to the gate room and stands back as he waits for the gate to be dialed before stepping through the shimmering event horizon. Sam lets out a breath when the wormhole collapses and stares at the daunting ring for a moment before turning to Jack and smiling softly. He smiles back at her and winks before guiding her back up to the surface and to the truck.

This time she steps up to the driver’s side door and holds her hands out for the keys, thanking her husband as he hands them over. She climbs up into the driver’s side and adjusts the seat and mirrors before pulling away from the base and turning left instead of right, intending on them taking the long way home. She opens up the engine a little bit when they hit the back roads and takes Jack’s hand in hers once she hits a nice cruise.

“So…your sister and your mother.”

“Yes, my sister and my mother.”

“What are we going to do?”

“I don’t have a damn clue,” Jack shakes his head.

“Maggie wants you to talk to your mom.”

“I know.”

“And I’d say the fact that she got on a plane to comet here seems promising.”

“I know,” He sighs and squeezes her hand. She squeezes back and glances over.

“Why don’t we have a quiet day today? I’m sure we can find plenty around the house to entertain ourselves with. I think there’s a Scrabble board laying around somewhere. Maybe we go out for dinner tonight. Maggie and I can go out tomorrow, you and your mom can spend some time alone…talk?” Sam suggests with a raise of her eyebrow.

“Quiet day sounds good, and I’ll kick your ass at Scrabble.”

“You still can’t even finish a crossword before me,” She barks out a laugh.

“Oh it’s on, Carter,” He challenges. She grins and rolls her eyes, her eyes focused on the road as they finish the trip home. She parks the truck in the garage and turns the engine off before hopping down from the cab and heading inside. Her boots and jacket get tossed into the closet before she makes her way into the living room and smiles when she finds Molly standing in front of the fireplace holding Grace as she looked at the pictures.

“Everything go okay?” She asks.

“Oh, just fine,” Molly replies as she turns around, “I was curious…”

“About?” Sam asks, her insides tensing as she can only imagine what Molly was going to ask now that they were alone.

“Grace’s blanket…is it…”

“It’s Charlie’s,” She nods and smiles as she picks up the blanket from the cot, folding it up and draping it over her forearm, “Jack told me that apparently Charlie liked the one that Sara’s mom made more and so he never really used this one. He found it when we were moving and thought we might use it for Grace.”

“She likes it?”

“She loves it,” Sam grins and drapes the blanket over the side of the cot, “We brought her home in it.”

“That’s great,” Molly smiles.

“Jack and I were thinking that we could stay in today and maybe go out to dinner later?” She suggests.

“That’s fine with me.”

“Okay, I’m going to go change into something more comfortable. And then I’ll be right back,” Sam leans down and kisses the top of Grace’s head before going upstairs and exchanging her outfit for something more comfortable and nursing friendly. She pulls her hair into a ponytail and makes her way back downstairs, stopping to grab a drink before heading back into the living room.

“Is this your brother?”

“Mmhm,” Sam nods and walks over to the mantle, “Mark, he’s four years younger than me.”

“He’s your only sibling?”

“Yep, just the two of us. He has three kids and lives in San Diego,” She explains, “That picture is missing the youngest one. He’s only about five months older than Grace actually.”

“Are you guys close?”

“Ish,” Sam shrugs sheepishly, “It could be better, but we talk decently often. See each other a couple of times a year.”

“What about your mother?”

“Oh…she passed away when we were kids. I was thirteen or so.”

“That’s terrible, I’m so sorry,” Molly sympathizes and Sam offers a weak smile and shrug before sitting down in one of the arm chairs.

“It sucked…sucks…still sucks a lot," She admits quietly, looking up as Jack wanders into the living room with the Scrabble box victoriously held in his grasp.

"Found it!" He exclaims, making her smile. Molly offers her son a bemused smile before looking at Sam. The blonde shrugs and waves her hand towards Jack.

“We kind of have a…thing about crosswords. Me being better at them, I suppose.”

“Those are fighting words, Carter,” Jack challenges as he points at his wife.

“Oh I am well aware of my son’s…vocabulary intricacies,” She comments. He gets the game set up and the four of them take seats around the coffee table as Sam takes charge of putting on some light music before taking her daughter back from her grandmother. The four of them play a few games of wordplay whilst trading interrogating questions between moves. 

After a three game sweep Sam excuses herself to feed Grace, leaving the O’Neill’s to play on their own. She lays the girl down for a nap afterward and carries the baby monitor into her office, intent on taking care of a few housekeeping items. She takes the time to look at a calendar and get back to her brother about the family coming to visit, setting up that they would come for a short trip over Easter weekend. She was in luck this year that it was falling in late April so Grace would be almost six weeks old by the time the holiday rolled around. When she puts the cordless back on the base she notices that the voicemail light was blinking and picks the phone back up to check their messages.

Sam wedges the phone to her shoulder and pulls out a piece of scratch paper to scribble down notes as she listens. She puts the phone back once she’s done and pulls out her checkbook, making out a check before tucking it into an envelope. She addresses and stamps it before leaving it on the mantle at the top of the stairs as she walks back into the bedroom. Climbing up into bed, she stretches out and grabs her book off of the bedside table, flipping it open to her bookmark.

Jack wanders upstairs a little while later and leans in the doorway when he sees Sam passed out in the middle of the bed with her book laying open on the bed next to her. He watches her for a few moments before walking over and grabbing a throw off of the foot of the bed. He drapes it over her and marks her spot for her before pressing a kiss to her head. She murmurs softly and rolls away from him, tucking the blanket under her chin. He smiles and checks on Grace before leaving them both alone to continue their nap.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter ahead but I hope you enjoy regardless!

Sam swirls her straw in her iced tea as she looks across the table at Janet while Maggie disappears to the bathroom. The brunette grins and takes a sip of her wine, her hand cradling the goblet.

"What?" Sam asks.

"I have a very hard time reconciling the fact that she's the colonel's sister," Janet shrugs, "Especially considering she slipped me her number the other night."

"She did not!" Sam exclaims softly, not wanting to draw attention to them.

"Oh she did. And there was a very nice grope in it for me," Janet waggles her eyebrows before taking another drink and sitting the glass down.

"No wonder she suggested I invite you," Sam shakes her head with a grin before looking over to check on Grace, smiling at the baby as she reaches over to pat her on the belly. 

Maggie had suggested a morning out for the four of them to give Molly and Jack some forced time alone together before the two women left to head back to Denver for their flight later in the evening. She had also suggested Sam might like to see if Janet was available to come with them to make her feel more comfortable. Sam had tried to assure her that she didn't feel uncomfortable being alone with her, but the redhead had insisted and was pleased to find that the petite doctor was going to be available and willing to join them. After a morning of leisurely shopping that left Grace thoroughly spoiled, the four of them were wrapping up with lunch at a local cafe before planning to head back to the house. 

"Would you ever...?" Sam trails off as she looks at her friend, her eyebrow arching slightly.

"I mean she's not terrible to look at," Janet replies, looking over as she sees Maggie start making her way back to the table, "Smart. Funny. Little on the tall side. You just have to ask yourself the question of if it's worth the risk."

"Janet!"

"What? Nothing wrong with looking," She points out with a grin just before Maggie sits back down.

"Anybody for something sweet? I think there's a piece of seven layer chocolate cake that's calling my name in that dessert case."

"It wouldn't take too much to twist my arm. Sam?" Janet asks.

"I might get something to go for Jack and steal a bite," Sam agrees as she looks over at Maggie, "Is cake an O'Neill thing?"

"Jack's thing with cake? Lord no. The man is obsessed! But Mom does make this really good strawberry cake, with cream cheese frosting. I think all of us have a pavlovian response to this day if we walk in the house and smell strawberries," Maggie grins and Sam chuckles before reaching out to take the dessert menu from Janet. She scans over the options before also ordering a slice of the chocolate cake, asking for it in a to go box as she hands the menu back to the waitress. She skims the bottom layer off of the slice while Maggie and Janet enjoy their own desserts, closing the box back up once they settle up the bill. Sam pushes the stroller as they make their way out to the parking lot, stopping at Maggie's rental car.

"I'll see you soon?" She asks as she grabs a couple of bags out of the bottom of the stroller.

"I'm not off again until Thursday, but if you need anything before then..."

"I'll call," Sam rolls her eyes with a smile. Maggie grins at Janet as she leans against the bumper.

"Maggie, it was nice to meet you. Hopefully you won't be a stranger to Colorado Springs."

"Oh, I think I'll keep popping by. But if you're ever in Boston..."

"I'll be sure to look you up," Janet winks with a slight smile before digging her keys out of her purse and heading towards her own car. Sam laughs and shakes her head as she looks at the redhead, her own blue eyes sparkling.

“That amount of cheek is genetic you know.”

"Ah, she told you about the phone number didn't she?"

"Yes," Sam grins and unlatches the carseat from the stroller before opening the back door and getting Grace strapped in. Maggie collapses the stroller down for her and puts it in the back before closing the hatchback and getting into the car with Sam.

"Ah, right or left?" Maggie asks when they get to the exit of the mall parking lot.

"Right, left at the light."

“So, did she say anything beyond telling you that I gave her my number?” Maggie probes gently after a few silent moments making Sam laugh again.

“She may have said something about enjoying the grope,” Sam teases, “I don’t think making a good first impression is an issue for you, Maggie.”

“Not by half,” Maggie grumbles and looks out the window with a sigh as they stop at a light, “But she’s smart and funny. I like that bit of an accent she has. And she can fit in my pocket.”

“Oh my god, I am going to tell her you said that!” Sam exclaims as Maggie laughs. 

When they get home Maggie offers to get the bags as Sam gets the carseat out of the back. She follows the blonde inside and both of them stop in the mudroom when they hear Jack yelling. Her shoulders immediately tense when she hears her brother’s raised voice and she gently shoulders past Sam before setting the bags down on the table and heading towards the living room.

“Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit,” She mumbles as she picks up her pace, practically skidding around the corner.

“I wanted to die!” Jack snaps at his mother, “My son was gone, my wife wouldn’t look at me, and I wanted to die! Don’t you get that? Do you understand how much I blamed myself for what happened? How many times I tasted metal in my mouth until the Air Force came and offered me a one way trip? Until they guaranteed me that my pathetic excuse for a life would be over. No, everyone in the family was too busy blaming me, telling me to get it together, that I needed to be there for Sara, that I needed to ‘man up’.”

“Heyyyyy,” Maggie nervously cuts in as Molly stares at her son in shock, “How is everything going?”

“This was a mistake,” He tells his sister as his eyes drop to the floor and he walks away from the both of them. He shrugs Sam off when she reaches out for him as grabs the truck keys and flees out the garage door. She rubs her forehead as she finally sets Grace’s carseat down on the kitchen table. She looks up when she hears feet in the doorway and lets out a long breath as she looks at Maggie.

“Maggie…”

“I really thought they’d work it out,” Maggie mumbles before shaking her head and straightening up, “I’m going to…I'm sorry.”

Sam sighs again as Maggie flees up the stairs. She rubs her hand over her forehead before looking down at Grace and biting her lip. She gets the baby put down for a nap in the living room and sinks down onto the couch until the two O’Neills appear a little while later with their bags, “Hey.”

“We’re going to head back a little early,” Maggie mumbles and points towards the front door. She scratches her forehead and clears her throat, “Will you just…just please tell Jack I’m sorry and that I’ll call him in a couple of days?”

“Yeah of course,” Sam nods as she pushes herself up off of the couch. She hugs Maggie before hugging Molly, “It was great to meet you guys though. I’m glad you got to meet Grace.”

"Me too," Molly smiles briefly before stepping past her to get one last look at Grace. Sam walks them out and sighs as she closes the door behind them, resting her forehead against the wood for a few moments before straightening up and walking back into the living room. She grabs the handset for the phone and dials Jack's cellphone number, listening to it ring through to his voicemail.

"Jack, it's me...I know you're upset, but your mom and Maggie just left. Just...I don't know," Sam mumbles as she bites her bottom lip, "Just don't stay out too long or do anything stupid, I suppose? I love you."

Sam hangs up the phone and collapses back onto the couch, basking in the silence as she drops her head back against the cushions. She closes her eyes and just sits until Grace starts to fuss a little while later, "Ohhhh come're, little star."

Sam leans forward and picks the baby up out of her cradle before pulling her close and getting settled nursing. She smiles as she strokes the fine red hair on her daughter's head before Grace wraps her fingers around her mother's pinkie, "I love you, my sweet girl."

Later in the evening, Sam chews on her bottom lip after laying Grace down for bed and picks up the phone again, dialing Jack's number one more time. She grumbles as the phone kicks to voicemail immediately just as she hears the back door open downstairs. The phone gets dropped to the bed before she makes her way downstairs, running into Jack at the bottom of the stairs.

"Where have you been?" Sam murmurs as she wraps her arms around his neck, hugging him close, "I've been worried."

"Sorry," Jack replies as he wraps his own arms around her, hugging her back just as tight. He buries his face into her neck and sighs softly. She holds him for a few moments before loosening her grip.

"Are you okay?" She pulls back as she captures his brown eyes with her own.

"Yeah," He nods and grimaces, "I just...kinda kept driving until the tank ran out. Which happened to be in the middle of nowhere. Which got kind of complicated seeing as I tossed the phone out the window at some point…"

“Well that explains the straight to voicemail,” She lets out a light laugh. He shrugs and rubs the back of his neck, looking back down at the floor. She threads her fingers through his hair and pulls his head up, “Hey…”

“Hmm?”

“It’s been a long day. Why don’t you come upstairs, take a shower, and get in bed with me?” She proposes, “The baby’s already asleep and I’m sure we can find something to watch on tv. And I can even entertain you with a funny story.”

“A funny story, huh?”

“Mmhm,” Sam hums and slides her hand down his shoulder and arm to thread their fingers together, pulling him up the stairs with her. She pushes him towards the shower once they’re in the bedroom and climbs into bed herself. She turns the tv on and turns the volume down before starting to flip through channels until Jack comes out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist. She waves the remote at the tv, “Gladiator is just starting.”

“Sure,” He nods as he rubs a hand towel over his hair while he pulls one of the top drawers open, grabbing a pair of underwear and an undershirt from inside. He tosses the towels into the hamper before getting dressed and sighing as he leans down to kiss Grace on the head. The baby snuffles for a moment before relaxing again and Jack climbs into his side of the bed, “What did you do today?”

Sam snuggles up and rests her head on his shoulder. She smoothes her hand across his stomach with a soft sigh, “I didn’t put Grace down. We had a bath and some skin time, read a little bit. Just a quiet, easy afternoon.”

“You’re a good mom,” He murmurs as he kisses the top of her head.

“And you are very biased,” She smiles softly as her cheeks color, feeling him shrug underneath her, “But thank you.”

“What was your funny story?”

“Your sister hit on Janet. Apparently she slipped her number into her back pocket when we were at O’Malley’s the other night.”

“Oh god,” Jack groans and Sam laughs

“Janet was actually pretty flattered,” She grins, toying with the hem of his shirt, “Apparently Maggie is intrigued by the fact that she can fit in her pocket.”

“Jesus, if you think I still act like a kid sometimes…” 

“Ohhh leave ‘em alone,” She pinches his stomach before her hand slips completely under his t-shirt and against his skin, “I doubt anything will happen anyway.”

“Mmm, you underestimate the O’Neill charm.”

“Hardly,” Sam responds with a dry tone making Jack laugh. She presses a kiss to the fabric covering his chest and closing her eyes, "Jack?"

"Huh?"

"You know I'll always listen."

"I know," He assures her, his hand drifting up and down her back as he exhales slowly, "I know."


	27. Chapter 27

"Let's see...a filter for the truck, and the Jeep, and the Volvo, and the bike," Sam recites as she starts to pull items off of the shelf and dump them into the basket of the cart.

“And here I thought you gave up driving across town and decided to start going to Miller’s.”

"Cheat on you? Out of the question, Herb," Sam smiles as she turns around to face the portly older gentleman who was walking down the aisle towards her, wiping his hands on a work rag, "I've just been a little busy. Apparently it's frowned upon to do mechanical work while you're seven months pregnant."

"Well how about that," Herb smiles as he tucks the rag into his pocket and steps up closer to the cart, "How old?"

"Just at a month," She tells him as she digs her wallet out of her purse, pulling out a picture of Jack and Grace sitting on the couch before showing it to him, "That's Grace."

"Ain't she a beaut. Looks just like her mom."

"I like to think so," Sam's smile widens into a grin, "Jack has the day off today so he's hanging out with her and since the weather seems to be on the good side I thought I'd start off easy with a couple of oil changes. If I'm lucky and the weather cooperates I might even take her out for a ride this afternoon."

"How's she running?"

"Last I took her out really good. Might get a chance to leave her alone for a couple of years," She laughs.

"Good thing you came by when you did. If you're looking for a project, I might have something right up your alley," Herb offers with a precocious look.

"I could have my arm twisted, maybe not my bank account," She jokes, "How about I finish up the shopping and then you can tell me about this 'project'?"

"Sounds like a plan," He pats her on the arm before continuing his way down the aisle and into the back room. Sam finishes her shopping, picking up the oil she needed for each of the cars and the bike. She grabs a new set of wipers for each of the vehicles and a container of wax before heading for the checkout. Herb boxes the oil containers up for her before bagging up everything else.

"So what do you have for me?" She asks as she puts the flat in the basket of the cart before putting the bag on top. The auto shop owner turns around and pulls a piece of paper off of a cork board. He holds it out to Sam, letting go once she takes it.

"I don't know how this little gem found its way to this neck of the woods, but guy who lives outside of town bought a patch of land and found this baby in the storage barn," He explains, "He was hoping to find some vintage Deere or IH pieces, but found this instead."

“Hoooly Hannah," Sam says as her eyes scan the paper, "A vintage Shelby?"

"It's not in the best condition, hell it's only about two steps up from salvage. It's a shame that it ever got to that state, but guy's either gonna sell it here or scrap it. He doesn't want to dick around with transporting it somewhere or any of that, pardon my language."

"How much does he want for it?" She asks.

"For the low price of eight thousand bucks that money sink can be yours," Herb grins as he leans against the counter.

"That's it?"

"Why don't you go take a look at it before you say 'that's it', missy," He laughs. Sam rolls her eyes and grins herself.

"You have a phone number?"

"Yeah, I'll write it down for you," He says, taking the paper back before scribbling a number down on the bottom of it, "Name's Jerry, let him know that I sent ya."

"I will," She winks as she folds the piece of paper up, "I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks, Herb."

"No problem, you have a good day. Don't be a stranger now."

"Bye," Sam waves before pushing the cart out to the car. She loads everything into the trunk and puts the cart back before getting in and turning the engine over. She takes the long way home with the windows down, sighing happily as the wind rustles her hair, pulling the short strands out of her braid.

When she gets home she pulls the Volvo up to the garage before cutting the engine and getting out. The Volvo and the truck end up on ramp stands and she starts the process of making their oil changes. Once she's done with the vehicles she puts the Indian on its stand and sits down on the garage floor to start with its own change. Just as she's inserting the new filter and screwing everything back together Jack pulls up in the jeep, leaving it out in the drive. He walks around to the passenger side back door and gets Grace out along with a couple of shopping bags.

"Hey," He greets as he walks into the garage, the muscles of his forearm tightening as he carries the carseat.

"Hey," Sam replies and smiles up at him as she wipes her hands off on the rag piled in her lap, "Just in time, I was just finishing up. I can do the jeep later."

"You hungry?"

"Starving, I haven't had lunch yet," She shakes her head before picking everything up and getting up off of the ground, "Let me put this away and then I'll be in."

"Okay," He leans over the bike and kisses her before taking the baby and the bags inside. Sam takes the Indian off of its mount and puts her tools away before giving her hands another wipe with the rag and heading inside. She steps up to the sink and turns the water on, scrubbing her hands and forearms clean of oil and dirt before drying off and jogging up the stairs. She changes out of her dirty clothes into a clean pair of jeans and a new t-shirt, tugging the shirt over her head as she walks down the stairs.

"What did you two do while you were out?"

"Uh, grocery store, book store, picked up Chinese, and then home," He smiles as he wraps an arm around her waist and kisses her. Sam hums back in interest as her arms slip up to wrap around his neck, kissing him back eagerly. She chuckles against his lips as his hands slip into her back pockets and pull her closer. She breaks their kiss and tips her head back as she looks up at him with a grin on her lips. He pulls her hips a little closer to his own and winks at her, "Hi."

"Hi," She replies, nipping at his bottom lip. Jack laughs and groans as he buries his face to her neck, nipping playfully at her skin. Sam laughs and runs her hands through his hair before stepping back, giving his shoulders a squeeze before walking over to the table. She leans down and kisses Grace on the cheek before rubbing her nose against hers, smiling as she gurgles.

“Hi little star,” She greets softly before straightening up and starting to unpack their lunch, “How was she?”

“Totally fine. She fell asleep on the way to the grocery store and was out until right before the checkout,” He shrugs as he gets two plates down from the cupboard, “She’ll probably want to eat soon, but otherwise she’s been great.”

"Good," She smiles and slips into her seat at the table, thanking Jack as he hands her a spoon to dish out the food with. Sam rubs the tip of her foot against his calf as they eat lunch before pulling away as she stands to clear their plates. After she closes the dishwasher she rinses off her hands and picks Grace up, resting her against her shoulder as she kisses her temple and smiles at her, "How about we get you fed? Hmm?"

She squeezes Jack's shoulder before climbing the stairs to the nursery. Settling down in the rocking chair she gets the baby situated before putting her feet up and rubbing her fingertips over Grace's tiny back. She looks out the window as the two of them drift back and forth in the rocker, watching as a breeze comes through and bends the tips of the trees.

Once Grace finishes nursing Sam kisses her daughter's cheek with a smile spending a few extra minutes snuggling her before heaves herself out of the rocking chair and goes downstairs. She looks over as Jack comes in the back door, dusting his hands off on his pants before leaning down to take his work boots off.

"Those guys are here to break down those trees," He gestures over his shoulder, "I told them to just move the wood over to the barn once they're done."

"Sounds great," Sam smiles, "Would you mind if I went out on a ride? Just a quick one?”

“No, of course not. Let me take her,” He agrees before taking the baby and grinning at her. He tickles her tiny feet as he leans forward and kisses his wife, “Have fun.”

“I won’t be too long.”

“Sam, take your time,” He assures her with a wink before carrying Grace into the living room, “Think we can find a game to watch, little star?”

Sam watches them go before taking a few minutes to put on her leathers and get her boots on. In the garage she grabs her helmet and pulls it on before straddling the bike and turning the engine over. She revs it a few times before pulling out of the garage and down the drive, kicking it into high gear when she hits solid pavement.

“You might think you’re getting on one of those when you’re older, but you’re dreaming,” Jack tells the baby as the rumble of the engine leaks into the house as he flips through channels. He lands on a hockey game that was just about half over before putting his feet up on the coffee table and patting Grace’s belly as they settle in.

It takes Sam a couple of weeks to arrange the purchase and delivery of the Shelby, having haggled the price down on it slightly. They put it in the barn up on mounts and she manages to get the tools carted over before taking a 360 of pictures of the exterior along with snaps of the interior. Jack waves her down as she drives the truck back over to the house, hopping down out of the cab once she parks.

“Hey, I was just finishing up, what’s up?”

“Your appointment, you need to leave now if you’re going to be on time. Doc has two squads coming in at 230,” He reminds her as he walks around the cab and holds her purse out. She looks down at her watch and curses softly.

“I’ll just take the truck,” She gestures and takes the bag from him, “Grace okay?”

“Yeah, we’ll be fine,” He assures her, waving her off, “Just give me a call when you’re on your way back.”

“So you can send your girlfriend home on time?” She grins and winks at him before climbing back up into the truck. She rolls down the window as she gets the engine started, “You better be cleaned up and have that bed turned down when I get home.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Jack salutes and Sam laughs as she pulls away. When she gets to the mountain she makes her way through the checkpoints before going down to the infirmary. Janet waves her over to the corner bed when she walks in, offering her a small smile in greeting. Once the doctor finishes with her current patients she hands the chart off to a nurse before stepping into her office and grabbing Sam’s. She makes her way over to the corner and pulls the curtain once she’s close enough. 

“Good afternoon,” The brunette greets.

“Hey,” Sam smiles.

“How are you?”

“Uh, good, good,” Sam rolls her eyes slightly and takes a deep breath, “I’m good. I’ve been doing a lot better the last few weeks.”

“That’s good. How’s Grace?”

“She’s doing great. Growing like a weed it seems. She smiles now…well for the most part. Sometimes it looks like that one face that Jack makes.”

“I think I know which one you’re talking about,” Janet smiles and makes a couple of notes before handing Sam a gown, “Change real quick and we’ll get you looked over and out of here.”

Sam changes as Janet gathers a few supplies. Once the doctor comes back she climbs up on the table and the two chat quietly as Janet performs her examination, making notes on the chart as she goes. When she finishes, Janet snaps off her gloves and tosses them in the bin before telling Sam she can sit up.

“Every thing seems to be on the up and up. Your weight is good, blood pressure is in good range, and that tear healed perfectly. You said your mood has been better lately?”

“Yeah,” Sam nods and smiles, “I think we’ve settled a bit now with Jack back to work and everything. I got the Indian up and out, and I bought a Shelby to restore. Just got delivered today actually.”

“Sounds like fun,” Janet smiles back, “Have you thought about birth control? You obviously don't have to go back on it, but getting pregnant again within the first year isn't suggested. I have shots and arm implants here or I can write you a prescription for something else. Or there are over the counter products you can use as well."

“What’s best for while I’m breastfeeding?”

"Estrogen can possibly affect your milk production," Janet explains, "So the shot, an arm implant, or the mini-pill would be best if you want chemical control. They're just progestin instead of the combination of the two."

"The mini-pill should be fine then."

"Alright, go ahead and get dressed and meet me in my office. My prescription pad is on my desk."

“I’ll be right over,” Sam replies as she slips off of the edge of the table. Janet moves around the edge of the curtain and walks back over to her office, writing Sam's prescription out before digging through her purse for something else to give her friend. She turns around when she hears a knock on the doorjamb and smiles at Sam before holding the prescription and a magazine out to her.

“Prescription is good for a year, give it a week before considering it effective. And I marked a couple of pages in the magazine for you,” Janet says, holding her hand up as Sam starts to protest, “I know, I know, I know, you said you wanted simple. Just…look at the dresses please. They’re all available at the shop we’re going to in Denver and I think any of them would look great on you.”

“I’ll look,” Sam acquiesces and Janet smiles her thanks.

“Fun plans this afternoon?” The brunette teases and the blonde rolls her eyes.

"Goodbye!" Sam calls out as she leaves the infirmary. She stops at a pharmacy on the way home and gets her prescription filled, wandering around the store and picking up a few other items before she checks out. The truck gets parked in the garage and she goes in the back door, kicking off her tennis shoes before walking into the kitchen, "Jack?"

"Hey," Jack smiles as he walks into the kitchen, Grace fast asleep against his shoulder, "I was just getting ready to put her down. Appointment go okay?"

"Perfectly fine," Sam grins as she walks over to him with the grocery bag still in her hand. She leans up on her toes slightly to place a kiss on his lips, "After you."

He huffs out a laugh before climbing the stairs, heading into Grace's nursery. He lays her down in the crib and rubs his hand over her belly as she snuffles a little bit. He waits until she settles before turning on the baby monitor and slipping out of the room. He pulls the door most of the way shut before walking into the master bedroom, barely managing to catch the box that Sam flings right at his chest.

“Ow! You know if you injure me this doesn't happen right?"

"If you can't handle me throwing a box of condoms at you, sex is the least of our problems," She teases before stepping into the bathroom and closing the door behind herself. Jack sets the box on his bedside table and tugs his t-shirt over his head. He gives himself a quick whiff before tossing the fabric into the hamper and folding back the blankets on the bed. Dropping down on the edge of the mattress he wrestles the box open and tears a few of the foil packets off of the length bundled up inside. He looks up as he hears the bathroom door open and pauses as he catches sight of his wife wrapped up in a short cream silk robe. She smiles and turns off the bathroom light before walking over to him.

"That's new," He blurts out.

"I picked it up a few weeks ago," She tells him before taking the box out of his hand and putting it on the bedside table. The foil packets join it a moment later and she smiles as she cups his face in her hands, stroking his cheeks, “Big plans?"

"Always be prepared," Jack grins and wraps his hands around her hips. Sam laughs softly and leans down to kiss him. He spreads his legs and pulls her closer as he deepens their kiss. Her hands slip back into the short hair at the nape of his neck and she hums in the back of her throat as she feels his hands slide down her hips and to her thighs, his thumb tickling the edge of the robe. When he pulls away from her lips and nuzzles her cheek softly his hand curls around her thigh. His grip pulls her closer once more and he buries his face in the skin that was exposed by the gap in the robe. He could smell the floral perfume she wore when she wasn't at work. He presses soft kisses to her sternum and takes a deep breath as he hears her let out a soft moan.

“Jack..."

“God, I want you…”

“Then take me,” She murmurs before squealing as he grabs her around the hips and hauls her back onto the bed. She laughs as he towers over her and gives her a cocky grin, his arms braced on either side of her head. Her fingers reach up and tangle in his dog tags and she pulls him down closer to her, “Get down here flyboy.”


	28. Chapter 28

Sam's head turns slightly when she hears the door open and close downstairs. She listens for a moment before picking up her earrings and leaning towards the mirror to put them in. The top step creaks a few moments later and she hears the bedroom door swing open and then closed.

“I thought you were going to be back last night," She calls out as she hears the quiet thuds of Jack's BDUs hitting the ground and being tossed into the clothes hamper.

"Things went a little fubar," He responds before elbowing into the bathroom in his boxers, "Give me a second to take a shower I can go to church with you guys."

"Jack!" She exclaims as she looks up after fastening the back on the second one. Her husband was incredibly dirty and the only clean spot on his face was where the cut on his hair line had been cleaned to be fastened together with butterfly stitches. He leans over and turns the water on in the shower, adjusting the taps slightly.

"I'm fine," He assures her, leaning into the mirror to pull off the white strips, wincing as they catch on a piece of hair.

"Don't take those off! The doctor put them on for a reason," She reprimands him with a sigh. He waves her off and climbs into the shower.

"I'll put them back on after, it's not like we couldn't open up a damn pharmacy with all of the medical supplies we have in the closet," He replies, his voice echoing off of the shower walls. She rolls her eyes and shakes her head, tossing the strips into the trashcan under the sink before getting out her makeup bag. By the time she's done putting on the basics he's stepping out of the shower and wrapping a towel around his waist, "What am I supposed to wear?"

"Just some nice pants and a nice shirt."

"What does that mean?" Jack asks as he walks into the bathroom, getting out a pair of underwear and an undershirt.

"Just...wear your grey pants and a white shirt and your dress shoes," She tells him as she steps into the bedroom as well. He nods and puts his base layer on before getting out his dark grey dress pants and white dress shirt. He watches Sam get dressed as he buttons up his shirt, his eyes drift over her body as she steps into a knee length lilac colored dress before slipping her arms in and reaching back to zip it up.

"I've got it," He offers and steps forward, batting her hand out of the way before zipping the back of the dress up. She turns around and smiles.

"Thanks."

"Not a problem," He grins and kisses her quickly before shaking out his pants and pulling them on. He tucks in and zips up before grabbing a belt down and threading it through the loops, "What smells good downstairs?"

“Lunch, Allison put the ham in a little bit ago," Sam rolls her eyes as she puts on her watch and the bracelet that Jack had gotten her, "Mark was throwing a tantrum about having a normal Easter lunch, so ergo we have ham."

"Ah...well I won't turn down ham."

"There's even cake."

"Cake?" 

"Mmhm, carrot, with home made cream cheese frosting," She grins and bends over to pull her shoes on, "I've gotta get Grace dressed. Hopefully I can do it without waking her up. Clean up your head."

"Hmm?" Jack tilts his head before reaching up and wincing when he feels the fresh wound, "Ow."

"Clean it up," She repeats before slipping out of their room and going into the nursery. She grabs the dress she'd gotten for Grace and smiles as she steps over to the crib and finds her daughter wide awake, wiggling around, "Hi honey."

She picks the baby up and kisses her head softly before taking her over to the changing table. She talks to her daughter as she gets her diaper changed and dresses her in the Easter dress she'd picked out the week before. She wrestles a pair of socks onto her feet and a pair of soft shoes that matched the dress before picking her up and giving her a smile, "Look at my pretty star..."

Grace lets out a small sound and captures Sam's index finger in her tiny hand as her mother carries her downstairs. Will and Bailey were tearing a streak around the house, already dressed in their Sunday best and hopped up on sugar as their parents cleaned up the little bit of breakfast they managed to get into the kids. She offers her brother a smile as he tosses two paper towels into the trash, "Jack's just getting dressed and then we'll be ready to go. If you guys want to go ahead..."

"Sure. Might stop the kids from tearing the house down," Mark flashes a grin at his sister before going to corral the kids into the car along with his wife. Sam grabs two packets of milk out of the fridge as the front door slams and tucks them into the baby bag. She looks up when Jack comes down the stairs and smiles at him.

"Don't you look nice?"

"I was about to say the same thing," He grins and takes Grace from her, kissing his daughter's cheek, "Look at that pretty dress."

Sam smiles as she watches the two of them before zipping up the baby bag and walking over to the coat closet, getting out a light jacket. She picks up the bag and her purse before following Jack out to the car. He puts Grace into her carseat and tucks her blanket around her before getting into the driver's seat. Sam climbs up into the passenger's side and drops both bags at her feet before buckling up.

"Where are we going?" Jack asks.

"Saint Paul's."

"Which is..."

"It's by the Broadmoor, just past it actually," She describes, "I'll give you directions once we get closer."

"Alrighty," He nods and turns the engine over before pulling out of the garage and heading in the general direction of the mountain. Sam curls her fingers around his hand and strokes his knuckles with her thumb as he drives. When the drive's almost over she starts giving him turn by turn directions until he's pulling into a busy parking lot.

Jack busies himself with getting Grace out of her carseat as Sam climbs down and grabs both of the bags, walking around the back of the car to meet him. She nods towards the church silently and they make their way towards the entrance. She pauses once they cross the parking lot and she steps up onto the sidewalk. He keeps walking for a couple of steps before noticing that she wasn't following, turning around to look for her, "Sam?"

"Huh?" Sam's eyes snap to his and he arches his eyebrow in question.

"Were you planning on coming in?"

"Yeah, sorry," She offers a brief smile and a shake of her head before catching up to him and taking his hand in hers. He squeezes and looks over at her before letting go to open the door to the church. They easily find Mark and Allison and Sam slides down the row to sit next to her brother leaving a few inches of space before setting their things on the ground. She takes Grace from Jack and kisses the top of her head as she settles her down, taking a quick glance at her watch to check the time, "Did you take the Bailey and Will down to Sunday School?"

"Yeah, still got a few more years before they'll stay occupied through regular mass," Mark jokes with a grin as he looks at his sister, "You would not believe who is still teaching down there though."

"Who?"

"Sister Catherine. I mean...she's got to be what? In her 70s by now? I mean she was down there when we were kids."

"Yeah, she must be," Sam lets out a strained laugh and a tight smile flits over her lips until she feels Jack rest his hand on her leg. She looks over at him and arches her eyebrow.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I just..." She glances over at Mark before turning a little more towards her husband and lowering her voice, "I haven't been here since my mom's funeral.”

“Oh. Why did we come here then?”

“Mark was droning on and on about it, how it would be like old times,” She sighs and rolls her eyes, “He kept coming to services after mom died but I stayed home…it’s not like I really ever wanted to come, but Mom brought us every Sunday.”

“We don’t have to do this you know?” Jack reminds her, “If you don’t want to be here or…” 

“I’m fine, it’s fine,” She assures him with a soft, yet slightly weak smile, “I can be a good big sister for one weekend.”

Jack squeezes her leg before giving her a quick kiss and settling in. He makes a few well timed jokes about goa’uld and sarcophagi through out the service, whispering quietly in his wife’s ear and grinning when he finally draws a choked giggle out of her. She glares at him after Mark gives her an unapproving look and it’s all he can do to just grin back at her with a quick wink. Grace starts to rouse from her morning nap towards the end of mass, her tiny nose instantly wrinkling. He leans down and rustles through the baby bag before emptying one of the milk packets into a bottle and screwing the cap on. Gesturing for Sam to hand her over, he takes his daughter and offers her the bottle, quelling any angry cries that may have burst forth as she latches on and starts to eat hungrily.

“She has your appetite,” Sam comments quietly as most of the congregants start to line up to take communion along with her brother and Allison. She takes Connor from her sister-in-law and smiles as she bounces the chubby baby on her knees, making him grin and giggle.

“She’s a growing girl.”

“Oh, are you a growing boy?” She teases.

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Jack dishes right back, making her snort as she turns her attention back to Connor. Once Mark and Allison are done they gather the other kids before splitting up once again to head home. Sam helps her sister in law finish up the preparations for lunch before they all sit down at the table in the dining room.

After everyone’s finished eating Jack insists that he and Mark can clean up as Allison takes all three of their kids upstairs for naps. Sam takes Grace upstairs and gets both of them changed out of their Easter outfits and into comfy clothes. She pats her daughter on the back as she carries her back downstairs and curls up in the corner of the couch with her, pulling a blanket up over them. She turns the tv on and flips around for a few moments before landing on a science documentary. Her eyes start to droop after only a few minutes of listening to the quiet lilting of the narrator’s voice. When Jack wanders in after he and Mark finish cleaning up he opens his mouth to say something before noticing that both she and Grace were fast asleep. He brushes her hair away from her face and kisses her forehead before leaving them to nap.

When everyone is up from their naps the kids start bugging their aunt to play with their new toys they’d gotten in their Easter basket. Sam slides down onto the floor and puts Grace into her recliner seat, giving her a playful belly shake before paying attention to what Bailey and Will were trying to tell her about what they were playing. She manages to keep their attention for a while before they give up on her and just continue playing by themselves. Staying on the floor she leans her body back against Jack’s legs and looks up at him, offering a smile and a wink.

Later in the evening Sam steps out of the bathroom wiping her face on a hand towel as she turns the light off behind herself. She gives the towel one last scrub and tosses it in the hamper before pausing as she notices an Easter themed gift bag sitting on her side of the bed. Jack discretely looks up from the book he was reading before looking back down. Sam walks around to her side of the bed and pulls the bag closer to her, looking at the tag on one of the handles.

“For Sam and Grace, from the Easter Bunny.”

“Yeah, stopped by and said he forgot it in his basket this morning. Did you know he’s blue?”

“I…hadn’t heard,” Sam laughs and pulls out the tissue paper, tossing it playfully at Jack as he finally abandons his book and puts it on the bedside table. She digs in the bag for a moment before pulling out a thick book, flipping it over in her hands, “A Game of Thrones.”

“I followed Kathy around the book store for about fifteen minutes. She is a retired librarian that lives with her son, Davey, by the way. The grandkids are great, but she needs to get out of the house,” He explains with a flick of his wrist, making his wife grin, “I gave her an extremely poor description of what you liked. This seemed like the safest bet from what she showed me.”

“I haven’t read it. It looks interesting though,” She compliments as she skims the back cover.

“Yeah?”

“Yes,” She nods in assurance with a smile before putting it on her bedside table. She reaches back into the bag and pulls out a small jewelry box, arching her eyebrow as she looks over at him. He sits up a little bit more and leans forward to pull the bag out of the way as she opens up the box.

“Your brother mentioned that you both had monogrammed crucifixes from your Mom and that your dad had gotten them for the other kids. So I ordered one for Grace,” He explains, “It should be close to what you guys all have.”

“I haven’t thought about that necklace in years,” Sam whispers as she pulls the top of the box off and looks at the delicate gold necklace within, their daughter’s initials engraved on the back face of the crucifix, “It’s been at the back of my jewelry box since I got home from the Gulf and I didn’t take it out when I started at the SGC.”

“Why?”

“I wasn’t afraid,” She says simply as she puts the lid back on top and sets the tiny box on her new book. She climbs onto the bed and across the expanse of the mattress, pressing Jack back into the headboard as she captures his lips in a hard kiss. Her arms wrap around his chest and she slides her hips back as she straddles his legs before burying her face in his neck as she hugs him close. He wraps his arms around her and turns his head to kiss her on the temple, “Thank you for the book. And for Grace’s necklace.”

"You're welcome," He replies as he gives her a squeeze.

"Are you off tomorrow?"

"Yeah. What time does your brother leave?"

"Their flight is at noon," She answers as she pushes herself up, just sitting astride his thighs as her hands rest on her own, "They'll probably leave around ten or so."

"What does the rest of the day hold for us?"

"Hmm, that's a good question. The weather is supposed to be nice, let's go out for a hike," Sam suggests with an arch of her eyebrow, "We could go to Garden of the Gods."

"Sounds like a plan," Jack smiles. Sam smiles back and leans forward capturing his lips once more. When she pulls away she nips playfully at the tip of his nose before sliding off of his lap and stretching out on her side of the bed. She tucks her feet under the blankets and grabs her book before opening it up. Within half an hour the book is laid out across her chest and she's gently snoring away, snuggling closer to Jack's body.

In the morning Sam helps her brother load their bags into the back of the rental car, giving Mark a double take as he stares at her, his hand resting on the edge of the trunk lid. She dusts her hands off on her jeans and arches her eyebrow at him, "What?"

"You're different."

"What is that supposed to mean?" She scoffs as she crosses her arms across her chest.

"I don't mean that in a bad way," He clarifies as he shuts the trunk and shifts his stance, his boots crunching in the gravel, "You've just...always been so work driven and..."

"Jack gets it," She explains, her eyes flicking towards the house, "He gets work and he gets...me, I suppose, even if it sounds like the biggest cliche ever. Yeah, we have bad days and it's been rough since Grace was born, but I'm happy, Mark, I'm _really_ happy."

“Good,” He nods, “Jack’s a good guy.”

“He is,” Sam agrees, looking up as the front door opens and the kids come spilling out, Jack and Allison following with both of the babies. She hugs and kisses her niece and nephew before loading them into the car and turning her attention to her sister in law and Connor. The baby gets a fat kiss on the cheek before she hugs Allison, “I’m glad you guys were able to make it out.”

“Me too! It was great to see the house, and of course finally meet the mysterious Jack,” She teases making Sam roll her eyes. Once the family is packed into the car and turned out of the driveway Sam turns to Jack and lets out a breath with a wide smile.

“No more family for a while.”

"No more family for a while," Jack agrees before she leans up on her toes and kisses him.

"I'm going to go grab the stroller and the bag if you want to get in the car."

"Can do."


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is basically a slimmed down AU of Heroes

Sam steps off to the side of the track, panting softly as she digs her ringing cell phone out of the stroller. She looks at the display before flipping it open and holding it to her ear.

“Carter…no, sir, I’m just at the gym…no, don’t send anyone. I’ll go pick her up…We shouldn’t be that long about 45 minutes,” She flips the phone closed and looks down at Grace who had her tiny hand curled around the ear of a small plush rabbit and was looking up at her with wide eyes, “Change of plans, little star.”

Grace lets out a small sound of interest as Sam directs the stroller back onto the track before getting off at the side of the locker rooms. She doesn’t bother to shower and changes back into her street clothes quickly before the two of them make their way out to the car. Grace’s carseat gets buckled into the base that was strapped down in the back seat before her mother folds up the stroller and heaves it into the trunk of the car. Sam gets into the driver’s seat and turns the car on before she backs out of her parking space and points the car in the general direction of the mountain.

Halfway to Cheyanne she pulls off of the main road and continues until she pulls into a drive in front of a smart looking building. She parks the car in the small guest lot in front of the main building before getting out and getting Grace’s carseat. She climbs a small flight of stairs before pulling the door to the building open and stepping inside. Immediately in the foyer is a secretary’s desk with a young brunette sitting at it, typing away at the computer in front of her. Once she notices Sam’s presence she stops typing and looks up at the blonde with a smile on her face.

“Welcome, how can I help you?”

“I need to pick up Cassandra Fraiser,” Sam tells her, “My name’s Samantha Carter.”

“And what was she being picked up for?” The secretary asks as she looks back at her computer, pulling up Cassie’s file to confirm that Sam was allowed to pick her up.

“Her mother was injured, I need to take her to the hospital,” She explains, setting Grace’s carseat between her feet.

“I’ll call up to her class and have them send her down.”

“Thanks,” Sam smiles, wrapping her fingers up in her jacket as she crosses her arms, looking around as she waits for Cassie. She tries to lift the corners of her mouth in a reassuring manner when the brunette rounds the corner with her backpack slung across her back and a look of fear spreads over her face.

“What happened?”

“Don’t worry,” Sam replies as she picks Grace’s carseat up and locks it in the crook of her arm, “She’s hurt but she’s fine. I’m going to take you over now.”

Cassie nods and follows Sam out to the car. Sam buckles Grace back into the carseat base and presses a kiss to her nose as Cassie gets into the front seat, setting her bag on the floor. She looks up as Sam gets into the driver seat and turns the engine over.

"What really happened?"

"From what I’ve heard she was off world and there was an ambush. She took a staff blast, but she was stable when the General called."

"People can die from those though, they die all the time…”

"It's...good that she made it back to the SGC. I'm not saying she's out of the woods. I don't know what happened or where she got hit. But it's good that she's back and that she's stable," Sam assures her with a small smile before reaching over to pat her hand as she pulls away from the school and continues her trip to the mountain. She signs the three of them in at the checkpoint before guiding Cassie down to the infirmary. The first nurse she comes across indicates the doctor and the General conferring at the end of the full infirmary. Sam nudges Cassie forward and they make their way over to the two gentlemen. She sets the carseat down on the floor in front of her feet and keeps the baby bag draped over her shoulder as their conversation slows.

“Doctor Carter, Cassandra,” General Hammond greets. Sam offers him a small nod before putting her hand on Cassie’s back as she introduces her to the doctor.

“Cass, this is Doctor Michaels, he works with your mom. Doctor, this is Janet’s daughter, Cassandra. I don’t believe the two of you have had a chance to meet.”

“No, we haven’t,” The doctor smiles and holds out his hand to Cassie. She reaches out and shakes his hand with a brief smile before letting go.

“Nice to meet you."

"How's she doing?" Sam asks in a low voice, cutting to the chase.

"She's stable," The doctor explains as he looks at the chart in his hands, "The hit was long range and from what I understand she was pushed out of the way before full impact, but she still took a lot of it. The blast to her back was in the lower rib and soft tissue area. She's in surgery right now, we called people over from the Academy hospital to assist."

"The wound impacted into the soft flesh," Sam summarizes.

"It did. They're doing exploratory and reparative surgery to the area and then we'll be able to assess healing time."

"How long before she's out of surgery?"

"They were saying a minimum of two hours when she went in half an hour ago," The doctor tells her, "But it could be longer."

"Sir?" Sam questions, turning her attention to the General.

"Doctor Fraiser and the medical team were helping out with injuries sustained by an earlier incursion against SGs 1 and 3," Hammond explains, "We've retrieved the medical team, three members of SG-3, and Doctor Fellowes. The rest of SG-1 and Martin from SG-3 were separated from the main group during the secondary ambush. We haven't received any communication from them yet. Last time we dialed the gate we were still being fired upon."

"Of course, sir," Sam nods as her heartbeat ratchets up a few notches. She looks over at Cassie and puts a hand on the girl's shoulder, squeezing softly to get her attention, "Why don't we go up to the commissary while we wait? Have you had lunch yet?"

"No," The young girl shakes her head.

“Me either, we'll get you fed and I'm sure Miss Grace won't be too far behind you," Sam tells her as she picks up the carseat and nods towards the door to the infirmary. The three of them follow Hammond out into the hallway and towards the elevator. The General swipes his card and turns towards Sam and Cassie as they wait for the car to arrive.

"How is Grace doing?" Hammond asks as he looks down at the little girl who was fast asleep in her car seat.

"She's doing really well," Sam smiles brightly as she looks down as well, “She’s an angel.”

"How long has it been?"

“Ah, just a little over eight weeks.”

"Yourself?"

"I am only partially exhausted most days," Sam grins before looking up as the elevator doors open. Inside Hammond presses the button for his office as well as the commissary before the doors close.

"What about you, Cassandra?" He asks. The girl's eyes snap up from the spot on the floor she had been staring at before she looks over at the General.

"Sorry?"

"How have you been doing lately? It's been a while since we've seen you on base," Hammond reiterates.

"Oh, fine," She replies as she offers a stressed smile, "Just counting down the days to graduation, you know."

"That's exciting. Do you know what you're doing for college yet?"

"I'm actually doing a late application to the Academy,” She explains, “For next year. Until then Sam offered that I could nanny for Grace, once she goes back to work.”

“She is going to study physics,” Sam grins. Hammond laughs softly as they descend the last few floors.

“Not medicine?”

“Medicine isn’t really my cup of tea,” Cassie replies with a wrinkle of her nose causing another smile to spread across his face. The doors to the elevator open and the General steps out, holding the door open as he turns to them.

“Cassie, your mother is a very strong woman. She’s going to pull through just fine.”

“I know, sir.”

“I’ll keep you updated,” He says before letting the door shut. Sam wraps her arm around Cassie and squeezes her close as they make their way upstairs. Once they get to the commissary she directs the girl to pick out her lunch before claiming an empty table in the back corner, setting down Grace and her things. She shuffles through the baby bag before cursing when she doesn’t find a bottle. She hadn’t planned to spend very long at the gym when they’d left the house earlier.

The baby starts to fuss as Sam zips the bag up. She digs out the blue pacifier that Grace had been sent home with before nudging it at the baby’s lips. She latches on and starts to suck on it as Cassie sits down on the other side of the table.

“I’ll be right back,” Sam tells her before moving quickly through the line herself. She sets her tray down on the table and reaches out just as Grace spits the pacifier out and starts to cry. The pacifier gets deposited into the carseat once again as Sam unbuckles her and lifts her out. She holds her to her shoulder with one hand and presses a kiss to her head as she shakes out the blanket that had been tucked around her.

“Do you need help?” Cassie asks as she watches Sam.

“No, I’ve got it,” Sam smiles and drapes the blanket over her shoulder before moving Grace down into the crook of her elbow. She shifts the blanket slightly so she can see what she’s doing, getting the baby latched on before completely covering herself, “See? Practice makes perfect.”

“Super mom.”

“Hardly, some days I still wonder how I haven’t managed to break her yet,” Sam jokes lightly and leans back in the chair a little bit. Cassie eats her lunch quietly, picking slightly at the food. Once she finishes the tray gets pushed to the side and she digs a book and a notebook out of her backpack, setting them down before grabbing a pencil and her calculator, "What are you working on?"

"Calc," Cassie answers as she opens the book to the appropriate page before starting to copy down the first problem, "We have a test later this week."

"Ready for it?"

"Totally," Cassie grins as she writes. Sam snorts out a laugh and watches as the girl works on her homework while Grace finishes eating. Once the baby is done eating Sam fixes her top before hefting her to her shoulder and starting to burp her. She nuzzles her nose against the girl's whispy red hair and presses a soft kiss to her head. 

Grace lets out a couple of burps before curling up into her mother's hold. Sam wraps her blanket around her and snuggles her close for a few moments before she moves her back into her car seat, brushing a soft hand over the top of her head and down to her cheek. She shifts in her seat and pulls her tray closer before starting in on the salad she had put together for herself.

"Do you..." Cassie starts as she taps her pencil gently against her notebook. She looks up at Sam and the tapping stops as she sets the writing instrument down, "Do you always know when he leaves?"

"When who leaves?" Sam asks after she swallows.

"Jack."

“Yeah, for the most part.”

“Did you know he was leaving today?”

“No,” Sam shakes her head.

“I never know when Mom leaves until after,” Cassie replies as she picks up her pencil again and continues to work on her homework, “I know she doesn’t leave often but…I should probably worry less than I do, I mean if it wasn’t for the program we wouldn’t have each other.”

"Janet's a capable soldier, she knows how to handle herself. She is generally in a prone position while she's trying to help people," Sam tells her, "But the soldiers she's with are some of the best that we have."

"I know," Cassie shrugs and sighs softly, "Do you worry?"

"I try not to," Sam smiles, "But it was a lot easier not to when I was out there with them."

"Do you miss going through the gate?"

"Yeah," Sam admits, the two of them lapsing back into a compatible silence. She finishes her lunch and gathers both of their trays before taking them to the clean up rack. She grabs a mug off of the tower that was next to the coffee machines and fills it with hot water before picking out a bag of tea and carrying it back to the table. She dunks the bag in and lets it sit for a few moments as she digs around in the baby bag for a few moments before pulling out a book. Sam slips her fingertip in to open it where she had left her bookmark and spreads it out on the table, starting to read. She refills her tea a couple of times before looking up as an airman approaches their table.

“Ma'am. I was sent up to notify you that Doctor Fraiser's surgery still has about an hour to go before they'll close up," He explains. She looks at her watch, noting that two hours had already passed, "It's taking a little longer than expected."

"Thank you," She smiles slightly in a dismissal. He nods before moving away from the table.

"That's not good is it?"

"It's only a little bit longer," Sam assures.

Another two hours pass before they're retrieved from the commissary by another airman. Sam thanks Cassie as she dumps the baby bag into the carseat before picking it up while she carries Grace cuddled to her chest. They make their way down to the infirmary and are directed into one of the private rooms on the floor. Janet was laid out on the bed with an oxygen cannula in her nose and a pair of IV lines running into the back of her hand. Cassie sets all of of the things down before walking over to the bed.

“How is she?” She asks the doctor as she scans her mother’s form before wrapping her fingers around her free hand.

“The surgery went well,” He tells her as he stands at the foot of the bed, “There was some damage to her kidney and large intestine with how deep the blast penetrated, but the surgeons were able to repair it and don’t anticipate any reduced functionality or issues. It’s going to be a bit of recovery, but she’ll be fine.”

“How long before she wakes up?”

“It shouldn’t be too long, would you like to stay?” He asks. Cassie looks over at Sam for permission. The blonde nods with a soft smile as she rubs her hand up and down Grace’s back.

“We can stay until she wakes up.”

“Thanks,” Cassie whispers before sinking down into the open chair next to the bed.

The two of them sit quietly in the infirmary until Janet wakes up. Cassie spends a couple of minutes talking to her until her mother succumbs to the morphine again and falls asleep. Sam suggests that they head home for the evening, promising that they can come back the next day when they'll be able to get more information on the doctor's status. They stop by Janet's on the way home and gather Boomer along with some things for Cassie before making their way to Sam and Jack's.

Sam hands a fussy Grace off to Cassie for a little while so she can take a quick shower and make them some semblance of a dinner. The baby had been fussing and whining since they'd left Cheyanne, only semi content when Sam was holding her. Once they're done eating Cassie takes Boomer out for a walk before quietly lugging her things upstairs and hiding away in the guest bedroom she'd designated as her own. When Sam checks on her later in the evening she finds the girl fast asleep, curled up in a tiny ball in the middle of the bed.

After a futile attempt at settling down to sleep with Grace in bed with her Sam gives up and moves downstairs so she doesn't wake Cassie. She alternates between pacing the living room and rocking in the recliner, music playing quietly on the stereo. 

Sam looks up as she hears the front door open before turning her attention back to Grace as she starts to fuss again. She starts to sing along to the music playing quietly from the stereo once more, smiling as the baby relaxes and looks up at her. Her eyes flick up a moment later when the shuffling in the doorway stops and she hears a few footsteps before Jack appears in the doorway, looking pretty haggard even for himself. He steps over to the two of them and wraps his arms around Sam’s waist, starting to sway in time with her as his voice starts to rumble along with hers. 

“Hey,” She murmurs after she trails off.

“Hey,” He replies, “Where did you learn that?”

“My mom,” Sam explains as she continues to sway with the baby, “Where did you?”

“My grandma at first…I used to sing it to Charlie when he was a baby,” He admits, “Why isn’t she in bed?”

“Ah, she’s been fussy since we left the SGC.”

“She okay?”

“Yeah, no temperature or anything. She just doesn’t settle for long,” She sighs softly with a tired smile on her lips, “What time is it?”

“Little after four.”

“When did you get back?”

“Couple hours ago,” Jack answers as he lets Sam go and turns her around. He cups Grace’s head in his palm before leaning down and pressing a kiss to her forehead, taking her from his wife and nestling her into the crook of his arm, “Where’s Cass?”

“Upstairs,” She gestures, “Asleep. We stopped by the house on the way back and picked up some stuff for her along with the dog. We can figure everything out tomorrow…or today I suppose.”

“I stopped by the infirmary before I left. She was asleep but the other doctor said she was doing fine still.”

“Good.”

“How’d Boomer do with Grace?”

“Ah, she didn’t particularly like it when he licked her across the face,” She lets out a soft puff of a laugh, “But he was good.”

Jack nods towards the couch before stepping around the coffee table and sinking down onto the soft cushions. He shifts Grace to lay on his chest and pats her back softly as her eyes start to droop closed.

“I knew she was waiting for you,” Sam grins as she sinks down onto the couch, resting her head on Jack’s shoulder as she slips her arm around his. He offers her a tired smile and shrugs before reaching out with his free hand to grab the baby’s blanket and drape it over her back, tucking it around her gently. The two sit in a compatible silence for a few moments before she interrupts.

“It’s a mother’s song you know?”

“What?” Jack asks.

“That lullaby. The title translates as ‘lulling song’ and the first few lines in English are ‘Sleep child, on my bosom, wrapped warm on my breast, you mother’s arms tight around you’,” She explains with a small, amused smile, “I think it’s cute that you used to sing it to Charlie."

“Well Grandma never mentioned that. She just used to tell me it was a Gaelic song,” Jack shrugs with a smile and a soft laugh. Sam lets out a small hum of amusement and closes her eyes for a few moments, her body slowly relaxing.

"I'm glad you're okay," She whispers.

"Me too," He replies, turning to kiss her on the forehead. She sits for another moment before getting up and picking Grace up from his chest, tucking her against her shoulder.

“Come on, let’s go to bed,” She tells him before heading towards the stairs. Jack grunts as he pushes himself up from the couch. He turns off the stereo and the lights before following the girls upstairs. He sticks his head in on Cassie, finding the girl now sprawled across the guest bed with Boomer curled up between her legs. Jack sighs softly as he pulls the door closed and finishes his trip to the bedroom. Grace was already laid out in her cradle and Sam was standing at the dresser unhooking her bra. She tosses the fabric towards the hamper in the corner, missing it by a couple inches, and grabs a tank top out of one of her drawers before pulling it on. He undresses down to his boxers and stuffs his clothes into the hamper, picking up her bra to put on top. The two of them climb into bed at the same time and easily slip into their familiar positions before Jack reaches out and turns the bedside light off. He squeezes her closer for a moment and presses a kiss to her temple.

"I love you. You know that?”

“I know. I love you too."

A few short hours later, Sam rouses as Grace wakes up a little after six. Her hand trails down Jack's arm as he gets out of bed to take her downstairs. She takes a couple of minutes before getting up and pulling her robe on, making her way towards the guest room Cassie was staying in.

"Cass, time to get up," She calls out softly, opening the door a little wider for Boomer to escape out of.

"I know," Cassie mumbles from underneath the blankets, "Can we go see mom before school?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Okay, I'm up," She replies, sitting up a little bit. Sam pulls the door closed again and continues her trip downstairs. She grabs Boomer's leash off the counter and squats down to latch it onto his collar before walking him out into the back yard. It was still a little cool, the sun still low on the horizon.

Boomer tugs a little bit on his leash, wanting to walk further out into the yard. She steps to the edge of the patio and lets him walk out to the end of the length. The dog sniffs around for a few minutes and does his business before walking back to her. She smiles and ruffles his ears, walking him back inside. Cassie sets down two bowls on the ground containing his food and some water as Sam unlatches him. She pets him gently before standing up.

"I'm going to go shower."

"Eggs okay for breakfast?" Sam asks as she opens the fridge.

"Just toast is fine," Cassie tells her before escaping back up the stairs.

“I remember when ‘just toast’ used to suffice,” Sam murmurs as she pulls eggs and butter out of the fridge before getting a loaf of bread down off the top, “Do you want eggs?”

“Please,” Jack responds as he drops down into one of the chairs at the table, giving Grace her bottle. Sam busies herself at the stove, starting to make breakfast for them.

“Are you going in today?”

"Yeah," He yawns. She cooks up a few eggs and some toast before setting a plate in front of him and another plate at one of the open spots. She reaches her hands out, taking the bottle out of Grace's mouth and tucking it into the pocket of her robe before she takes the baby.

"I'm going to go get her dressed, you eat," She commands as she gives the bottle back to the baby before climbing the stairs. Grace finishes the last dredges of her bottle as her mother picks out clothes for the both of them before depositing everything on the bed. Sam sets the empty bottle down on her dresser and walks into the bathroom, turning the water on in the shower. She burps the baby and gets both of them undressed as the water warms up.

Grace's nose wrinkles as they step under the spray and Sam smoothes her hand over the baby's hair before starting to get her cleaned up. Once her bath is finished she's put in the baby bath in the corner while her mother manages to quickly clean up for herself. Sam steps out and wraps a towel around her body before grabbing a smaller towel for Grace, plucking the baby out of the tub and wrapping her up. She rubs her down as they walk back into the bedroom before setting her down on the bed.

"Look at the little baby burrito," Sam coos at her as she unwraps her and gets her into a diaper. She tickles her toes playfully for a moment before managing to get her quickly dressed in a jumper and socks. The soft bunny she'd had the previous day gets plucked off of the floor before being given to her to keep her attention while Sam gets dressed. 

"Do you mind just dropping me off at the mountain?" Jack asks as he walks into the bedroom a few minutes later. Sam pulls her shirt down over her head and lifts her hair out from under the collar before looking over at him, "I can just get a ride home from Daniel or something."

"Yeah, we can drop you off," She tells him as she sits on the edge of the bed to pull her socks on, "I can come get you later, it's not a problem."

"I don't want you to have to take Grace out again," He replies as tosses his pajama pants into the hamper.

"Cass can stay with her," She replies as she stands back up and grabs Grace from the bed. She leans up and kisses him as he stands in his boxers before making her way out of the room, "Don't take too long."

"Yeah," He nods. Sam goes downstairs, pressing a kiss to the baby's forehead as she walks. Cassie was hunched over the newspaper and a plate of toast at the end of the table already dressed in her uniform with her backpack sitting by her feet.

"Jack's just getting dressed and then we'll leave."

"Okay."

"What time do you normally get done?"

"Uh, three or so," Cassie says as she looks up from the paper, "I can get a ride home if I need to.”

“No, no, I’ll come pick you up,” Sam shakes her head and squeezes Cassie’s shoulder as she walks past, “You got everything?”

“Yeah,” She nods. Sam tosses the keys at her and nods towards the garage.

“Go ahead and get in, I’ll be out in a second.”

“Kay,” Cassie mumbles around the toast in her mouth as she picks up her bag and heads out to the garage, giving Boomer one last pat as she walks by. Sam gets Grace buckled up in the carseat and pours a travel mug of coffee for Jack before putting on her shoes and grabbing a jacket. She slings her purse over her shoulder just as he comes downstairs and holds up the mug to him as he makes a beeline for the coffee pot.

“Cassie’s in the car already,” She tells him as she picks up the carseat and heads towards the garage, “Don’t forget to lock the door.”

Jack blinks slowly as she escapes out the door, leaving him and Boomer behind in the kitchen. He looks at the dog and takes a sip of his coffee before turning the lights off and following them out the door, making sure to lock it behind himself. Once they get to the SGC Jack carries Grace inside, following behind the two women as they make their way downstairs. Sam leads the way to Janet’s room and knocks on the doorway softly before stepping in. Doctor Michaels was looking over Janet's chart and talking quietly to the other doctor who barely seemed to be staying awake.

“Hi everyone,” He greets, closing the chart.

“How’s she doing?” Cassie asks as she walks over.

“I'm fine,” Janet mumbles from the bed, interrupting before the doctor can speak. Her eyebrow manages to twitch upwards for a nano second as Michaels gives her an incredulous look before she looks away and over at Cassie, a slightly dopey smile on her lips, “Hey honey.”

“Hey,” Cassie smiles, stepping up to the bed, “How do you feel?”

“Like I got hit with a staff blast.”

“Well I suppose that’s good?” 

“Yeah,” Janet winces as she shifts, “Just dandy.”

“Um, Sam’s going to take me to school,” Cassie says, “And we can come back by after I get done. Do you know how long you’re going to be in here?”

"It's still going to be a couple of days yet, Cassie," The doctor tells her, putting the chart back on the end of the bed, "But she's doing well."

“You don’t mind her staying with you?" Janet asks Sam.

“Of course not,” Sam shakes her head, “She’s always welcome.”

“Thanks,” Janet smiles. Sam leaves Cassie and Janet to talk for a few minutes and steps out into the hallway with Jack, taking the carseat from him.

"I'll come pick you up this afternoon. Cass is out of school at three and I need to get groceries, so we can just swing by before we head home."

"Okay," Jack agrees with a nod. He gives his wife a wink and leans down to kiss Grace on the head before heading off towards the elevator. Sam looks at her watch before she steps back into the room, nudging Cassie with her shoulder when she steps up to the bed.

“Let’s get going, I don’t want you to be late.”

“Okay,” Cassie nods before leaning down and pressing a kiss to Janet’s cheek, “Love you.”

“Love you too,” Janet replies and reaches up to brush her fingers over Cassie’s cheek, “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry. Give me a second to talk to Sam?"

"Sure," Cassie nods, grabbing her bag before going to step out of the room.

"What's up?” Sam asks.

"God I can't believe I'm asking this..." Janet mumbles as she rubs a heavy hand over her face before letting it drop back to the bed. God she was already exhausted and she’d only been awake for a few minutes, "Um, I need you to call Maggie."

"You need me to call Maggie," Sam repeats slowly.

"We've been talking..." Janet flips her wrist weakly, "I had leave this weekend, Cassie was going to stay with a friend, and I was going to go to Boston."

"Oh..." Sam replies, her mouth forming a perfect circle as her eyebrows raise slightly. After a moment she nods and closes her mouth, offering a small smile, "I'll call her."

"Thank you," Janet sighs, "And seriously. Thank you for keeping an eye on Cassie."

"It's not a problem," Sam assures her, "I'm going to take Cass to school, but I'm not doing too much today, so just have someone call if you need or want anything. Even just some company."

"Thanks, Sam."

"Get some rest."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know...I'm being hard on Janet, and shoving too many guests at Sam and Jack :sigh: I can't help it.
> 
> I'm also making a commitment to have this main story wrapped up by chapter 35. Though I'm not saying no to there potentially being branch off one-shots. :D


	30. Chapter 30

"I think we can let you out of the cage today," Doctor Michaels says as he tapes gauze carefully over Janet's wound, "If you promise to take it easy once you get home."

"This really wasn't a good time for 'get shot and take it easy'," She gripes as she pulls her shirt down once he's done. She runs her fingers through her hair, tucking it behind her ear, "Cassie graduates next weekend. Well…this weekend I suppose.”

“Still. You need to continue to rest while you’re at home, at least until you see the doctor at the hospital on Thursday,” He points out as he finishes filling out her chart, “It’s going to be a few weeks until you’ll be released to come back.”

"I know."

"I'm going to write a prescription for some pain medication out for you. It'll just be for a weeks worth. No driving, no lifting over 15 pounds, limit your stretching motions for that side," The doctor lists off, "No alcohol, continue to limit yourself to relatively clear liquids, bland diet. If you notice any excessive pain, irritation, discharge from your stitches..."

"You do know I wrote this speech right?" Janet jokes.

"I'm well aware," He smirks, "You have someone to stay with you?”

“Yeah,” She nods, looking over as Sam walks in, her car keys dangling from the tip of her fingers.

“Hey,” Sam smiles and walks closer to the bed, “Ready to go?”

“Just about,” Janet smiles back before finishing up with the doctor, tucking the prescription in her jeans pocket as she stands up. Sam grabs the bag of belongings that had accumulated the few days that Janet had been in the SGC infirmary and nods towards the door, walking along side her friend as they head towards the elevator, “Where’s Grace?”

“Cassie’s watching her,” Sam explains, “It was the last day so they were out early and she wanted to make sure things were ready for you.”

“How are they getting along?”

“Really well,” She smiles, “Cassie loves her and she’s a natural honestly.”

When the two of them get back to the house after stopping along the way for Janet's prescription along with a few groceries Cassie races to greet her mother before the instinct to slow down kicks in a few steps away and she screeches to a halt. She takes the last few steps slowly and wraps her arms around her mother trying not to squeeze her too tight as she hugs her.

"I'm glad you're home."

"Me too," Janet responds as she gives her a squeeze before letting go and brushing Cassie's hair from her face. She offers her daughter a warm smile but her eyes give away that she was already tired again.

"Why don't we go sit down?"

"Sure," Janet nods, following Cassie into the living room and sinking down onto the couch as a slightly pained sound escapes. Sam leaves the two of them alone, going upstairs to put Janet’s things into the guest room before going to check on Grace and pump.

By the time Sam’s finished pumping the baby is up from her nap. She lets out a loud sound that alerts Boomer that she was awake, the dog hopping up on his hind legs to stuff his muzzle between two of the slats on her crib. The two engage in a staring match that keeps them both occupied while Sam cleans herself up and gets out a clean diaper and some wipes in order to change Grace. She nudges the dog out of the way as she picks the baby up and carries her over to the changing table. Once she's finished she tosses the dirty bundle into the trash, laughing as Boomer starts to bounce up and down on his front paws.

"What, you think I'm going to let you lick her?" Sam asks with a grin as she carries the baby downstairs, the dog following right behind them. In the living room she leans down to put Grace in her reclining seat but pauses when the girl starts to fuss, not wanting to be put down. Boomer tries to wiggle between them and lets out a bark when he can't, wanting Sam to put Grace down into her seat. Sam shushes him as she stands up with the baby, only prompting more barks from the mouthy dog.

"Boomer!" Janet snaps at him. The dog pauses at the familiar voice, abandoning his attention on Sam and Grace before jumping onto the couch and inadvertently Janet, making the doctor cry out in pain, “Jesus fucking goddamn christ!”

“Oh my god,” Sam exclaims, moving to put Grace down once more as Boomer burrows himself into the space between Janet and the back of the couch.

“I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine,” Janet assures her as she reaches up to wipe a couple of tears off of her temple taking a couple of deep breaths, “Jesus…god that fucking hurt.”

“What happened?” Cassie asks as she rushes back into the room, carrying a glass of juice and a bottle of pills.

“Nothing,” Janet shakes her head, “It was just the dog. But I’ll definitely take one of those pills now.”

Cassie shakes one out and hands it to her mother along with the glass of juice, “You’re sure you’re not hungry?”

“Not right now,” Janet murmurs after she swallows the pill and a considerable amount of the drink before setting the cup down on the coffee table. She rubs her hand over her eyes before laying her head back and letting out a long breath, “I’m fine.”

“Okay,” Cassie replies skeptically before sitting down on the other end of the couch, letting Janet put her feet in her lap. Sam sinks down into the recliner and pats Grace’s back as sprawls out on her chest, snagging the blanket from the top to pull over them.

Jack doesn’t get home until after dark, walking into a quiet house as he comes in from the garage. He hears one loud warning bark from up the stairs and shakes his head with a small grin as he unties his boots. The boots get ditched on the shoe mat and he stops at the fridge to pour a glass of milk before heading upstairs. Cassie’s door is closed and there’s no light peaking out while Janet’s door is cracked slightly and just enough sound and light is escaping to let him know that at least the tv was on. He guessed that Boomer was sleeping with her instead of Cassie.

In his own bedroom he finds his wife sitting up against the headboard reading with only her bedside lamp on, her glasses sitting low on her nose as she looked down at the book. Grace was fast asleep in her cot at the foot of the bed with her tiny fist curled up by her face. He shuts the door behind himself and smiles at Sam as she looks up from the book, sticking her bookmark in before closing the cover.

“Hey,” He greets as he pulls his shirt over his head, tossing it in the hamper.

“Hi,” She responds as she leans forward and her hands run along the length of her legs that were covered by the comforter. She offers him a slightly sleepy smile and squeezes her ankles before flopping back against her pillows, “Long day?”

“Not too terrible, just catching up on reports,” Jack shrugs as he drops his pants into the hamper as well before taking off his socks and climbing into bed next to her, “How’s the doc?”

"Fine when the dog isn't jumping on her," Sam rolls her eyes and puts her book on her bedside table. She hums as she feels a kiss pressed to her neck before his lips move up to the spot behind her ear, trailing back down to her jaw.

"Have I ever told you how hot I find your glasses?" He asks as he gently plucks them off of her face. She laughs and shakes her head, taking them from him and putting them on top of her book.

"Is this the beginning of some librarian fantasy you have?"

"No," Jack chuckles and presses his lips to hers, enticing her into a deep kiss. She moans softly into his mouth as his hand slides under the t-shirt she had put on earlier to wear to bed. His palm is warm against her side, his calloused skin a stark contrast to her smooth. She pulls away a few moments later her head swimming but her hand firm on his chest as she pushes him back just an inch.

"As much as I love where this is going..." She inserts, looking up into his eyes as he sticks his bottom lip out in a pout. She leans closer and nips at it before pecking his lips, "We have guests and Grace…”

"I miss you though," He partially whines as his hand slips further up her t-shirt.

"I know," She murmurs against his lips, continuing to kiss him, not helping the issue at all. The two continue to lazily make out for a while before Sam pulls away as Jack's hand diverts and ends up in her pajama bottoms, his fingertip teasing the edge of her underwear, "Jack..."

"Sorry," He grins as he lets the elastic gently snap back into place. She shakes her head and pushes him away playfully before slipping out of bed and going into the bathroom. She returns a few minutes later and climbs back into her side of the bed, sidling up to her husband. She scratches her nails across his abs as she presses a kiss to his cheek.

“I’ll put Grace in the nursery tomorrow night, kay?” She offers.

“Okay,” He nods and rubs his hand up and down her back, “Love you.”

“I love you too,” She winks and offers him one last kiss on his lips before reaching out to turn her bedside lamp off. She snuggles back against his side and curls up, tucking the blanket under her chin. Her breathing evens out relatively quickly and Jack sighs as he looks over at her, watching her sleep as his arousal works its way down. He slips his arm under her and pulls her close as he closes his own eyes.

In the morning he wakes up to sleepy blue eyes staring back at him from across the pillows. Their feet and legs were still tangled together but their torsos were a little further apart. He reaches up and scrubs a hand across his face before shuffling a little closer and offering his companion a tired smile. Sam reaches out and runs her fingers through his hair before pressing her lips to his, diving into the kiss head first. Jack's hands rest on her hips as she rolls him onto his back, her hands pushing into his shoulders as she lifts herself up.

"Cassie took Grace downstairs," She points out with a small smile, "If you're still interested..."

"I am always interested in you," He grins and rolls them over so he's on top. He kisses her hungrily before trailing his lips along her jaw, "Always."

She hums and threads her fingers through his hair, taking in a large breath as his teeth scrape against her skin. She exhales with a soft moan and her hips arch up involuntarily, "Jack..."

"Sam," He murmurs against her skin while his hands push her t-shirt up. He breaks away as he pulls the cotton off and tosses it onto the floor before latching his mouth back onto her skin.

It's a flash of fire and passion as they race towards the apex of the mountain. Sam's teeth clamp down on the round of his shoulder as she comes apart, her legs tightening around his hips and pulling her body closer. Jack's hand snaps up to curl around the edge of their headboard and he lets out a strained grunt as his body presses hard into hers. She moans softly as she loosens the tension in her legs and runs her hands down his sides, playfully digging her nails into his ass with a heady giggle.

"No giggling," He growls with a flex of his hips. She smacks him and he laughs softly as he pulls away, flopping onto his side of the bed. Sam curls her toes and stretches her legs out as she sinks into the mattress a little more. 

After a few moments she swings her legs over the side of the bed and gets up, walking around the end of the bed and winking at Jack before she heads into the bathroom. He hears the shower start a moment later and groans as he gets up himself. He scratches his nails across his scalp as he walks into the bathroom himself before climbing into the shower behind her. They easily share the space, moving around each other to share the warm spray as they clean up. 

Sam hands Jack a towel when they turn the water off and get out, wrapping her own around her body before walking into the bedroom. She dries off and gets dressed for the day before heading downstairs and finding Grace and Cassie in the living room, the baby offering her a smile when she gets close enough to recognize.

"Good morning, my darling star," She greets, leaning down to kiss her daughter's cheek before pressing a kiss to the top of Cassie's head, "Good morning. Where's your mom?"

"Making coffee," Cassie replies as she lets Sam take the baby from her, "I gave her a bottle a little bit ago."

"Thank you," Sam smiles and gives Grace another kiss as the girl grabs onto her finger, "Excited for your first day as a high school graduate?"

"It's nice not having to go to school," Cassie grins.

"Why don't I see how your mom is feeling and maybe we can go get breakfast at Bluebird? Chocolate chip pancakes?" Sam suggests. Cassie nods eagerly and Sam winks at her before heading into the kitchen, finding Janet standing in front of the coffee pot. The doctor was still wearing her pajamas and had an extremely confused look on her face.

"How did you manage to buy a confusing coffee machine?" Janet asks, looking over at her friend. Sam laughs softly and reaches around her to press the right sequence of buttons to get the coffee brewing.

"I told Cass I'd see how you were feeling and see if you wanted to go get breakfast this morning? Sort of a celebration thing."

"I could probably muster up enough energy," Janet agrees with a smile, "Plus chocolate chip pancakes."

"Alright," Sam nods, "We can take off after Jack leaves for work?"

"Sure that works," The brunette nods as she pulls the pot out once there's enough for a cup of coffee, filling the mug in front of her that already had cream waiting in it. She carefully sits down in a chair at the table and pulls the paper over, starting to peruse the front page as she takes a tentative sip of her coffee. Sam tells Cassie that they were going to go out for breakfast before climbing the stairs back to the bedroom, finding her husband in the bathroom shaving.

"We're going to go out for breakfast, but did you want me to make you something?" She asks as she leans against the door jam.

"Nah, I'll just grab something at work," He replies as he drags the razor up his neck and over the curve of his jaw. She waits and watches as he finishes before wiping his face off with one of their hand towels. He turns his attention to them and leans down to kiss the baby on the cheek, earning a small squeak in response. Sam lets her go as he lifts up Grace's tiny form and tucks her into the crook of his arm as he goes downstairs. She watches with amusement as he talks to the baby while managing to get a to-go cup of coffee together with his free hand. He gets the lid screwed on and takes a drink as he gives his daughter a gentle bounce, "What do you think, little star?"

The baby gives him a wide eyed look, her eyes blinking slowly. Jack shakes his head with a smile, "You haven't listened to a word I've said have you?"

"Oh I think she's listened to plenty," Sam laughs and takes her daughter back before leaning up to kiss Jack, "I'll see you later."

"Have a good day," He winks before grabbing his keys and heading out to the garage.


	31. Chapter 31

"Are you sure that this looks okay?" Sam asks as she stands in front of the mirror with her wedding dress on. She was getting one final alteration done on the garment before considering it ready for her and Jack's big day.

"Sam, you look gorgeous in it," Janet tells her, sitting on the couch that was by the fitting area. Grace was sitting in her lap and enjoying the rhythm of the soft pats to her belly, her eyes starting to droop closed, "And the wedding is in four days. It's a little late for buyers remorse."

“I know, it’s just a lot fancier than I’m used to wearing,” Sam sighs, smoothing her hands over the front of the dress before letting her hands hang so the seamstress can start her job, “I’ve spent years wearing my dress blues to events and the last date I went on before I moved to Colorado was right after I’d joined the program.”

“Well, I don’t think they make wedding BDUs,” Janet grins making Sam laugh a little. 

The dress was nice. She'd immediately fallen in love with it when Janet had pulled her out to look for dresses. Sam had tried on a hand full before she pulled on the sleeveless white chiffon gown. The dress was floor length, with a short train at the back, perfect for her height plus a pair of heels. The waist was cinched at her front with a jeweled accent and while the v-neck plunged lower than she'd normally like the empty space was filled in with what the sales woman had called an 'illusion panel'. The sheer material made her feel better about the low front and the scooping back. She wasn't self conscious by far, but her comfort zone had shrunk while she was pregnant.

“What other stops do we have to make today?” Sam asks.

“We are going to pick up the rings and the florist needs you to stop by and look at a flower substitution they had to make. Then you have a spa appointment while I keep an eye on this little nugget,” Janet lists off, looking down at Grace to only find her asleep.

“A flower substitution, seriously?”

“I told them whatever they picked out would be fine, but they insisted you come by,” The doctor explains, “Apparently it’s bitten them in the ass a couple of times in the past.”

“Okay,” Sam sighs. It doesn’t take long for the seamstress to finish before she gestures that Sam can go get changed. She comes out a few minutes later in jeans and a t-shirt, hoisting her purse up to her shoulder. After scheduling a time to come back and pick up the dress the three leave the small store before getting in the car and heading out for their other errands. They stop by the florist first before going to the jewelers. Sam leaves the car running as she runs inside the store, handing the box to Janet when she gets back in. The brunette flips the top open and looks at the rings inside a wistful smile on her face.

“So, how are you feeling?” She asks as she snaps the lid shut and tucks them into Sam’s purse that was sitting by her feet.

“I mean…we’re already married,” Sam shrugs as she drives, planning to drop Janet and Grace off at the doctor’s house before going for her appointment, “It’s just…a big celebration I suppose, I don’t know…”

“Are you nervous?”

“You know being the center of attention isn’t exactly my thing,” Sam points out, “Which is kind of the complete opposite point of a wedding…On Saturday, I’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” Janet nods and smiles as they change topics until they get to her house. Sam carries Grace inside and peppers her sleepy face with kisses before telling Janet she’ll call once she’s done and on her way to pick the baby up.

When she gets to the spa Sam takes a moment to clear her mind as she changes into the provided robe and slippers, intent on making sure she enjoys her appointment and alone time. By the time she's finished for the afternoon she finds herself sleepy and relaxed as she changes back into her street clothes and turns her cell phone back on. The phone beeps as a few notifications come through and she sorts through them on her way out of the salon, thanking the front desk staff before heading out to her car. 

Leaning against the bumper of her car, Sam smiles as she listens to a voicemail from Jack letting her know that he'd picked Grace up on his way home along with dinner. Instead of detouring to Janet's on the way she takes the direct route and pulls into the garage next to the Jeep, gathering everything she needs to from the car before heading inside. While she finds a bag of take out on the counter in the kitchen she finds Jack and Grace in the living room where the baby was hungrily suckling down a bottle that her father was holding for her. Sam presses her lips to the crown of Jack's head in greeting and squeezes his shoulders before leaving them alone and going back to the kitchen to get dinner out.

Saturday morning Sam sighs as she looks across the empty expanse of bed next to her. The guys had kidnapped Jack after work the night before for some semblance of a stag party that she was sure probably included Teal'c insisting that they watch Star Wars. She'd rebuffed Janet's offer of a girls night and instead spent the evening preparing. She wanted to make sure that everything was packed for their vacation and that the things she had left to do for Saturday were done. Various people were supposed to start arriving at ten and the ceremony wasn't until two, after they were headed to O’Malleys and then they were officially on vacation for two weeks.

She spends a few moments basking in the silence of the morning before she hears Grace wake up. Pulling herself up from her sprawled out position, she shuffles down to the foot of the bed and smiles at her daughter as she peers over the side of her bassinet. Grace gives her a sleepy grin and Sam laughs before getting off of the bed and picking her up. She takes her into the nursery and gets her diaper changed before settling into the rocking chair with her, “What do you think, little star? Gonna be a good day?”

Grace offers another gummy grin before her attention is distracted with breakfast. Sam gets both the baby and herself fed before Janet and Cassie arrive with Maggie in tow. They set up one of the spare rooms as their dressing room while Sam gives Grace a bath before laying her down for a morning nap. She pulls the nursery door closed behind herself before walking down the hall to see what damage had already taken place. Garment bags were already hanging and makeup was strewn across the dresser top, but both Janet and Maggie were missing, leaving Cassie to unpack the rest of their supplies.

“Where’s your mom?” Sam asks.

“Meeting the florist downstairs,” Cassie tells her, “She should be back in a few minutes.”

“And Maggie?”

“Making drinks.”

“Of course she is,” Sam laughs and shakes her head, “I’m going to take a shower real quick, okay? And then I’ll be ready.”

After her shower Sam just quickly runs a brush through her hair before putting on her underwear and wrapping herself up in a robe. When she rejoins the group Maggie hands her a mimosa and pushes her down into a chair before plugging in the hair dryer she had brought.

"What are you thinking? Up or down?"

“Down, but something simple,” She stipulates as she sets the baby monitor in her lap before Maggie turns the blow dryer on and starts to dry her hair. By the time Maggie is done Sam finds herself with simple, loose curls with the top clipped away from her face. She lets out a cough as Maggie gives her a heavy coat of hairspray before proclaiming her finished and handing her a mirror, “This looks great, thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Maggie smiles, “Makeup?”

“I can take care of it later once I get Grace ready and won't have a baby swiping at my face,” Sam assures her as she hands the mirror back, “What about you?”

“This doesn’t do well with too much taming,” Maggie rolls her eyes as she gestures towards her hair, “I’ve got a clip I’ll throw in it later, but that’s about as far as I’m going to bother.”

“Can you do mine?” Cassie requests.

“Of course,” Maggie nods and Sam gets up from the chair to let Cassie sit down. She smiles as she watches the two of them before draining the last dredges of her mimosa and putting the glass on the dresser.

The rest of the morning and the first dredges of the afternoon seem to disappear in an instant and before Sam knows it Janet is zipping her into her dress. She adjusts the front slightly before turning away from the mirror and facing the doctor, "Good?"

"Perfect," Janet smiles, "Do you feel good?"

"Yeah," Sam breathes and nods with a smile on her lips. She looks over Janet's shoulder as the doorway darkens and her smile broadens when she sees her father.

“Perfect timing,” Janet smiles when she looks over her own shoulder and sees Jacob, “I am going to head outside. Ten minutes okay?”

“Ten minutes,” Sam nods and Janet excuses herself, leaving the two of them alone.

“You look…” Jacob breathes as he looks at his daughter. She blushes and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear as she looks down at the floor.

“Thanks,” She whispers, looking back up at him, taking in the simple grey suit he was wearing in place of his dress blues, “You don’t look too bad yourself.”

“Not too bad for fresh off the rack,” He grins and shrugs, making Sam laugh, “Where’s Grace?”

“Maggie has her,” She explains as she steps closer to her father before moving out into the hallway, “She insisted that Grace get in some ‘auntie time’ before we left on vacation.”

“How’s she doing?”

“She’s doing really well,” She smiles and pulls up the skirt of her dress as she walks down the stairs, “Already so big and smiling all the time. I’ll have to make sure you have a new picture to take with you. Are you staying at all?”

“I told Mark I’d be around for the weekend,” Jacob responds and takes her hand once they get to the bottom of the stairs, “When do you guys leave for your honeymoon?”

“In the morning. Maggie and Janet are keeping Grace tonight and then we’re picking her up in the morning on the way to Denver. Our flight leaves at ten, I think. Cassie’s going to watch the house while we’re gone,” Sam recounts as they walk out the back doors. The sun was high in a cloudless sky and the perfect warm breeze was blowing across the yard, “It’s perfect out today.”

“Good weather for an outdoor wedding,” He agrees, “How are you feeling about today?”

"I feel good, little nervous but otherwise good," She assures him with a warm smile.

"Jack's a good guy."

"He is," Sam smiles, "He really is."

"You know I'll kill him if he ever hurts you or Grace."

"I am well aware," She rolls her eyes and nudges into her father, continuing to hold onto him as they step onto the walking path. They had laid brick along the path as part of their landscaping efforts but she didn't want to take any chances on tripping in her heels. 

Once they get closer to the clearing Sam slows down, her eyes widening as she gets a view of the fully decorated area. Janet and Cassie had offered to take care of making sure that the clearing was decorated for the wedding and she had acquiesced to get one thing off of her plate, giving them the small budget she’d set aside. She didn’t know what she’d expected, but it certainly wasn’t what she was seeing.

There was a small grouping of chairs set up facing the pond for the small amount of guests they’d invited. The back row of chairs had bouquets attached to the back of them, bundles of white wisteria and peonies held together by light blue ribbon. In addition to the wisteria on the backs of the chair strands were attached to the trees and hanging low in a floral waterfall, blowing in the breeze. Standing at a flower decorated wood altar that had appeared out of nowhere, Jack was talking to Daniel.

“Hoooly Hannah,” She whispers.

“What?” Jacob asks.

“Nothing, I…it’s beautiful,” Sam clarifies, looking at Janet as they step up to the edge of the clearing, “How did you…”

“I have my ways,” Janet smiles and hands Sam her bouquet, “Just wait for the music, okay?”

“Yeah,” Sam nods as she takes the flowers, “Thank you.”

“What are friends for?” The brunette winks before heading back over to the seating area and taking a seat between Cassie and Maggie, Grace sitting on the redhead's lap with a floppy hat on her head to protect her from the sun. Sam takes a deep breath and formally wraps her arm around her father’s as she adjusts her grip on her bouquet. A few moments later the music starts to play and the two of them step out from the shadow of the trees and make their way across the grass.

Sam’s face lights up when she makes eye contact with Jack, enjoying the look on his face as he drags his eyes over her body before snapping back up to hers with a soft smile on his lips. When they reach the altar she tips her head as her father presses a kiss to her cheek before squeezing her hand and stepping back, taking a seat in the front row. She holds her bouquet out and thanks Cassie when she takes it before turning her attention to Jack and putting her hands in his.

By the time Daniel finishes the ceremony she’s blinking away tears, trying not to ruin her makeup. She laughs as Jack immediately tugs her closer when the archaeologist proclaims that he’s able to kiss the bride. Her hand reaches up to stroke his cheek and she grins at him, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” He murmurs before capturing her lips in a kiss. She wraps her arms around his neck and suppresses the need to yelp as he dips her, instead chuckling and hugging him closer for a moment. When they part she blushes as everyone claps, her hand resting on her husband’s shoulder as he pulls her upright. He gives her one more peck before letting her go, a smile still on his lips.

They spend most of the evening at O’Malley’s with a large group of people from the SGC, spilling out into the main restaurant from the back room that they had booked. Janet and Maggie leave early with Grace, Cassie begging off to hang out with friends. When they finally decide to leave and head back to the house the party is still in full swing, everybody loudly (and slightly drunkenly) wishing them a happy honeymoon as they escape from the restaurant. Once back at the house Jack tosses his car keys onto the table as Sam balances against the counter to pull her heels off, dropping them on the floor immediately.

“Oh god that feels good,” She comments as she curls her toes a few times while she rests her bare feet on the cold tile flooring.

“I don’t think we’re at that part of the night yet,” He teases as he drapes his suit jacket over the back of the chair along with his tie. She laughs and shakes her head, resting her hands on his chest as he wraps his arms around her waist.

“I’m surprised I lasted this long considering I have spent most of the last eight years wearing combat boots every day,” She points out.

“You looked amazing today,” He compliments as he leans down and kisses her. She hums and kisses him back for a moment before pulling away.

“You looked quite handsome yourself,” She counters and slides her hands down to his waist, her fingertips dipping underneath the waistband of his pants, “Good day?”

“Very good day,” He agrees, “You wanna go upstairs?”

“Yes,” Sam laughs and buries her face into his shoulder, “But I need to shower and pump and I really want to get out of this dress.”

Jack laughs and leans down, picking her up off of the ground and slinging her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. Sam screeches and pounds her fist at his lower back as he carries her upstairs, “Jack! Put me down!”

“Nope.”

“You’re going to hurt yourself!” She exclaims.

“Only if you don’t stop wiggling around,” He points out before setting her down in the bedroom with a grin and a kiss. She huffs at him and shakes her head with a grin, “Let me help you out of this.”

“There is nothing sexy going on underneath this dress,” She tells him bluntly as he turns her around and grabs the zipper tab, starting to pull it down.

“At this point in our relationship I think I can handle it,” He replies and finishes unzipping the dress, lowering the fabric so she can step out of it. Once she’s steady on her own two feet he drapes the dress over the foot of the bed. Sam manages to pry off she shape wear she’d stuffed herself into earlier in the morning, tossing it towards the hamper before pulling off the nursing pads that had also been stuck on at various points throughout the day, “Hot.”

“Told you,” She smiles and drops the pads into the trash next to his bedside table before going into the bathroom. Jack laughs as he finishes unbuttoning his shirt, pulling the tails from his pants as he hears the water turn on. He changes out of his suit into a pair of pajama bottoms and a t-shirt before grabbing the things that Sam would need to pump and setting them up on her bedside table.

By the time she’s showered, pumped, and cleaned up it’s close to midnight when she climbs into bed and finally slips under the covers. She sighs softly as she situates herself, laying on her side as she looks over at Jack. He offers her the glass of whisky in his hand. She takes the cup from him and takes a small mouthful before handing it back.

“Special moments?"

"Very special moments," He agrees, taking his own drink out of the glass. He rests it on his stomach and looks over as she continues to stare at him, "What?"

"Nothing," She shakes her head minutely, "I just want to look at you."

"You've got quite a while to do that," He smiles.

"I know," She agrees with a small smile of her own and her fingertips brush over his cheek before her thumb strokes along his jaw line. She gives him a playful tap before leaning over and pressing her lips to his in a soft kiss, "I love you."

"Love you back," Jack murmurs and wraps his arm around her, pulling her closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone is curious about inspiration for Sam's dress see [here](https://moncheribridals.com/wedding-dresses/collections/sophia-tolli/y21747-aries/)


End file.
